The Facebook group, which has been renamed “Meta,” has postponed its plans to use end-to-end encryption for Facebook Messenger and Instagram messages until 2023.
Antigone Davis, Meta’s director of global security, writes in the Telegraph that the company will push back the deadline for adopting end-to-end encryption as standard for billions of Messenger and Instagram users to "sometime in 2023." Meta claims this delay is intended to give the company additional time to consult with experts in the field of combating online abuse while protecting user privacy.
We're taking our time and plan to complete the global rollout of end-to-end encryption by default for all our messaging services sometime in 2023. As a company that connects billions of people around the world and has developed industry-leading technology, we are committed to protecting people's private communications and keeping them safe online.
End-to-end encryption: law enforcement agencies express concern
Facebook had previously launched a plan to fully encrypt all messages on Messenger and Instagram in 2022. But following that announcement, government officials, institutions and others expressed great concern. The concerns relate to whether end-to-end encryption will make it harder for law enforcement to protect the safety of citizens and children. Davis said a balance can and must be achieved.
We believe that people should not have to choose between privacy and security.
Instagram, which is owned by Meta, has introduced features and changes to improve the platform for younger users. This includes automatically setting the accounts of users under 18 to private. Meta also relies on people's goodwill to combat potential abuse on the platform.
Facebook Messenger & Instagram lag behind
Third, we actively encourage people to report harmful messages to us and will prompt them to do so if we believe there may be a problem. Once they do, we can look at the reported message, investigate the content, offer support where appropriate, and take action. If we find abuse, we will refer to authorities and respond quickly to legitimate requests for data to assist law enforcement investigations - as we always will.
Davis defends the need for end-to-end encryption, pointing to recent cases of law enforcement data requests that show that the majority of user data requested is unencrypted to begin with.
No system is perfect but it shows that we can stop criminals and support law enforcement.
Meta already uses end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp. However, this privilege isn't extended by default to all Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct Message users. In August, Instagram announced it would test chats with end-to-end encryption for a limited number of adult users in certain countries. Signal, Telegram, and iMessage, on the other hand, are all end-to-end encrypted, without requiring an opt-in for the most secure form of mobile communication. (Photo by sergei_elagin / Bigstockphoto)
