Anonymousabout 3 hours ago
On May 8, 2026, Meta removed end-to-end encryption from Instagram direct messages, reversing a privacy feature introduced in 2023 and giving the company—and potentially law enforcement—access to the content of private conversations across its most lucrative platform. The move, which Meta attributes to low user adoption, arrived 11 days before the Take It Down Act took effect and weeks after the company lost two major child safety lawsuits, prompting fierce debate between privacy advocates who warn of surveillance risks for vulnerable populations and child safety organizations that argue encryption hampers detection of abuse material.