Instagram will no longer offer end-to-end encryption for private messages after May 8, 2026, Meta has confirmed. The platform’s parent company disclosed the change in a low-key update to its help pages. The decision reverses a feature that was originally introduced as a privacy milestone for the platform.
Zuckerberg had made encryption a centerpiece of his 2019 vision for Meta’s messaging services. The rollout on Instagram finally happened in 2023 but was limited to users who actively opted in. With adoption numbers staying extremely low, Meta has decided the feature is not worth maintaining.
From May onwards, Meta will have access to the content of every Instagram DM. Users who previously enabled encryption will lose that protection automatically. This effectively eliminates any technical barrier between Meta and its users’ private conversations.
Supporters of the move include law enforcement agencies and child protection advocates who have battled Meta on this issue for years. The FBI, Interpol, and national police forces across multiple countries argued that encryption facilitated criminal activity. Australia’s eSafety commissioner also stressed that platforms must take active steps to prevent harm regardless of encryption choices.
Privacy campaigners remain alarmed and are urging users to be aware of what this change means. The head of policy at Digital Rights Watch questioned why Meta chose to remove the feature rather than improve it. With WhatsApp retaining encryption, the move appears to draw a sharper line between Instagram as a social platform and WhatsApp as a messaging service.