Facebook Messenger, Instagam may not get end-to-end encryption until 2023; here’s why

Meta company’s Facebook and Instagram may not get end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default on Messenger and Instagram until 2023, as per reports. The company, last year, merged chats for both the platforms, Messenger and Instagram in order to create a unified messaging system, across all the platforms.

The messages sent through Messenger and Instagram can be E2EE but that won’t be turned on by default. The report (via The Guardian) suggests that the possibility of it won’t be seen anytime soon; not until 2023 to be precise. Antigone Davis, Meta’s head of safety, in The Telegraph’s post, attributed the delay to concerns about the safety of users. Davis also added that Meta wants to ensure E2EE doesn’t interfere with the app’s ability to help stop criminal activity.

Davis also noted that once E2EE becomes available by default, the company will use a combination of non-encrypted data across all apps, account information and reports from users to keep users safe, while also keeping “public safety efforts” in mind.

Meta in a blog earlier had stated that default E2EE would be available on Instagram and Messenger sometime in 2022 at the earliest. But now, the company has delayed the future’s debut until 2023 to get this whole thing “right”.