SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued a public advisory urging Instagram users to be cautious while sharing personal or sensitive information through direct messages following changes to the platform’s privacy settings.
In a post shared on X, the police said many users believe Instagram direct messages are completely private, but warned that the platform has discontinued support for end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for direct messages from May 8, 2026.
The advisory stated that messages exchanged through Instagram DMs may no longer remain encrypted and protected in the same manner as before.
According to the police, Meta introduced the change to strengthen online safety measures and improve the detection of harmful or unlawful content, enabling law enforcement agencies to intervene when required.
The advisory emphasised the importance of digital privacy awareness and responsible use of social media platforms.
Police advised users not to share passwords, one-time passwords (OTPs), banking details, personal documents or sensitive photographs through Instagram direct messages. Users were also encouraged to rely on encrypted communication platforms for confidential conversations.
The advisory further urged people to maintain backups of important chats and media files, while cautioning that deleted online content may not always be permanently removed from the internet.
Officials said the awareness message was issued as part of JK Police’s ongoing cyber safety outreach under the ‘Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyan’ and the Union Territory-wide 100-day campaign.
Instagram has officially discontinued support for end-to-end encrypted direct messages on its platform, according to an update published on its Help page on Friday.
