SRINAGAR: Meta has announced that it will discontinue end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messaging on Instagram from May 8, 2026, effectively rolling back a privacy feature introduced in late 2023.
The company said the decision marks a shift in its messaging policy, though specific reasons for the move were not immediately detailed.
End-to-end encryption, which ensures that only the sender and recipient can read messages, had been gradually rolled out on Instagram as part of Meta’s broader push to enhance user privacy across its platforms.
The discontinuation is expected to impact users who opted for encrypted chats, raising concerns among privacy advocates about data security and user confidentiality.
Meta has not yet clarified whether alternative privacy safeguards will be introduced following the removal of the feature.
