Meta has announced its plans to roll out default end-to-end encryption for Messenger. The social media giant has updated its blog post to confirm the privacy feature for its instant messaging platform. The company started allowing Messenger users to opt in to encrypt their DMs in January 2022. Meta then began testing turning the privacy feature on by default in August 2022 and has continued testing it since.
In the blog, the company wrote: “Starting today, millions more people’s chats on Messenger will be upgraded to stronger encryption standards as part of our ongoing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) testing. We remain on track to launch default E2EE for one-to-one friends and family chats on Messenger by the end of the year.”
Why Meta is adding E2EE for Messenger
According to a report by Verge, Meta already confirmed this commitment in a letter sent to Fight for the Future earlier this month. This announcement was in response to a pro-encryption campaign which was launched by the digital rights group in 2022.
In the letter, Meta’s deputy privacy officer, Rob Sherman, said that the company is currently testing the additional privacy layer in both Messenger and Instagram chats. Meta already allows Messenger users to encrypt their messages but it’s an optional feature and isn’t enabled on all chats by default.
Sherman wrote: “We remain committed to rolling our default end-to-end encryption for private conversations on Messenger in 2023, and shortly afterwards for Instagram. End-to-end encryption is the best technology we have today to protect people’s messages, and we also see it as an important reason why people might choose to use our products over competitors.”
Encryption pressure on social media platforms
Police forces have been complaining about platforms turning on encrypted messages by default as it creates new hurdles for law enforcement to obtain evidence of criminal activity. Federal legislation has also threatened industry-wide encryption adoption.
Meanwhile, civil rights groups have argued that Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) EARN IT Act could make it easier for platforms to be sued for offering encryption services because it can be used to send and receive child sexual abuse materials.
Sherman also told the Fight for the Future group that the testing phase has taken longer than expected. In the letter, he also mentioned that Meta has struggled to transition DMs to servers capable of handling end-to-end encrypted traffic and must rebuild multiple product features before the service goes live.
“I wanted to reiterate that Meta is committed to providing the ability for people to communicate privately with their friends and loved ones where they have confidence that no one else can see into their conversations,” Sherman noted.
In the blog, the company wrote: “Starting today, millions more people’s chats on Messenger will be upgraded to stronger encryption standards as part of our ongoing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) testing. We remain on track to launch default E2EE for one-to-one friends and family chats on Messenger by the end of the year.”
Why Meta is adding E2EE for Messenger
According to a report by Verge, Meta already confirmed this commitment in a letter sent to Fight for the Future earlier this month. This announcement was in response to a pro-encryption campaign which was launched by the digital rights group in 2022.
In the letter, Meta’s deputy privacy officer, Rob Sherman, said that the company is currently testing the additional privacy layer in both Messenger and Instagram chats. Meta already allows Messenger users to encrypt their messages but it’s an optional feature and isn’t enabled on all chats by default.
Sherman wrote: “We remain committed to rolling our default end-to-end encryption for private conversations on Messenger in 2023, and shortly afterwards for Instagram. End-to-end encryption is the best technology we have today to protect people’s messages, and we also see it as an important reason why people might choose to use our products over competitors.”
Encryption pressure on social media platforms
Police forces have been complaining about platforms turning on encrypted messages by default as it creates new hurdles for law enforcement to obtain evidence of criminal activity. Federal legislation has also threatened industry-wide encryption adoption.
Meanwhile, civil rights groups have argued that Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) EARN IT Act could make it easier for platforms to be sued for offering encryption services because it can be used to send and receive child sexual abuse materials.
Sherman also told the Fight for the Future group that the testing phase has taken longer than expected. In the letter, he also mentioned that Meta has struggled to transition DMs to servers capable of handling end-to-end encrypted traffic and must rebuild multiple product features before the service goes live.
“I wanted to reiterate that Meta is committed to providing the ability for people to communicate privately with their friends and loved ones where they have confidence that no one else can see into their conversations,” Sherman noted.
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