Meta’s latest Instagram update is raising fresh privacy concerns after the company quietly changed how direct messages are handled on the platform. The move removes a security feature many users expected to become standard across Meta apps. Now, critics say private chats on Instagram may no longer stay as private as users assumed.
Meta removes end-to-end encryption from Instagram DMs
Meta officially removed end-to-end encryption from Instagram direct messages worldwide on May 8. That means Instagram chats now use standard encryption instead of E2EE, giving Meta the ability to access message content if needed. The company updated Instagram’s terms and conditions earlier this year and confirmed it has no plans to bring the feature back (via People).
The decision surprised many users because Meta had spent years promoting stronger privacy tools. Facebook Messenger first introduced end-to-end encrypted chats in 2016. Then, in 2019, as per the BBC, Meta promised similar protections for Instagram and Facebook, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying, “the future is private.” Instagram later tested the feature in 2021 and expanded optional access in 2023.
According to Meta, very few Instagram users actually enabled encrypted DMs when the option became available. A spokesperson said that users who still want end-to-end encryption can use WhatsApp instead. The feature also remains active on personal chats in Facebook Messenger, along with apps like Apple’s iMessage and Google Messages.
The change has triggered mixed reactions. Privacy advocates criticized the move almost immediately. Maya Thomas from Big Brother Watch warned that encryption helps protect children and user data online. The Center for Democracy & Technology also said Instagram users are now “left exposed to surveillance, interception, and misuse of their private communication.”
However, some child safety organizations welcomed the update. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said encrypted messaging can make it harder to detect abuse and grooming cases. The timing also matches growing political pressure in the United States, including support for the Take It Down Act backed by Donald Trump. The law targets revenge porn and AI-generated explicit deepfakes online.
