Meta has announced that it will discontinue end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in Instagram direct messages (DMs) and calls starting May 8, 2026. Removing the feature means that Meta will now be able to see messages between all users, not just those of users who did not have encryption enabled.
The announcement was made in the Instagram support page, and advises users with impacted chats to download any media or messages they wish to keep.
End-to-end encryption on Instagram, which was (and still is in most places) optional and never became the default, has been available since 2023. As stated by Meta, it ensures that “only you and the people that you’re communicating with can see or listen to what is sent, and no one else, not even Meta, can do so,” though users can still choose to share content for reporting or optional features. This is achieved by having special keys on each device lock messages, which can “only be unlocked by a device that owns one of the special keys for that chat.”
Meta cites low uptake as the primary reason for the change. “Very few people were opting in to end-to-end encrypted messaging in DMs, so we’re removing this option from Instagram in the coming months,” a Meta spokesperson told the Guardian. “Anyone who wants to keep messaging with end-to-end encryption can easily do that on WhatsApp.”
Speaking to the Guardian, Tom Sulston, head of policy at Digital Rights Watch, suggested that the move is part of Meta’s efforts to separate its platforms more clearly, treating social media and private messaging as different spaces. The distinction lies in how people connect: on social media, users can discover each other, while private messaging is typically between people who already know each other. So, while Whatsapp is going to remain focused on private communication, Instagram is going to be a more moderated platform.
Supporters of the decision to remove encryption cite safety concerns. Over the years, Meta’s encryption policy has faced ongoing criticism from child safety organizations, law enforcement agencies (including the FBI, Interpol, the UK’s National Crime Agency, and Australian federal police), and regulators. These groups have argued that end-to-end encryption creates unmonitorable spaces that hinder the detection of harms such as child sexual exploitation, grooming, and terrorism.
A spokesperson for the Australian eSafety commissioner’s office said: “Where end-to-end encryption is implemented without appropriate safety measures, it can increase safety risks and prevent the identification of harms such as child sexual exploitation, and terrorism and violent extremism.” The E2EE feature on Instagram is already not functional in Australia, according to Guardian Australia.
Several governments have also taken steps or tried to get around encryption. In India, authorities repeatedly tried to break encryption, particularly targeting WhatsApp. In the United Kingdom, the Online Safety Act, passed in 2023, requires encrypted services to detect and remove illegal content. The European Union has also tried to do something similar through its Chat Control regulation.
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On the other hand, supporters of encryption argue that it delivers genuine privacy by ensuring only the sender and recipient can access messages and calls, with no one else — not Meta, not hackers, not third parties — able to read or listen. This protection is essential for protecting journalists, activists and everyday citizens from surveillance, argue the supporters. It also safeguards against data breaches and surveillance, preserving user trust and free expression.
According to Tom Sulston, more tech companies, not less, should be moving to end-to-end encryption. He also stated that money might be a factor in Meta’s decision to end E2EE, as the company could potentially use message content to tailor advertising and train chatbots.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of impakter.com — Cover Photo Credit: Shutter Speed
