Meta has rolled back one of Instagram’s most significant privacy features, announcing that as of Friday, May 8, 2026,the platform will no longer support direct messages as they will switch off.
The removal of end-to-end encryption for direct messages will allow access to all the content for direct messages, including images, videos and voice notes.
The encryption allowed users to shield their chats from Meta’s servers, ensuring the sender and recipient could read the content. Meta says the feature was used by few individuals, making compliance with new safety laws difficult.
Meta has urged the change is designed to protect users so it can deploy AI moderation tools to detect scams, child exploitation and harmful content.
Analysts, cyber security experts and IT experts believe the decision reflects a shift in Meta’s attitude towards privacy, stating social media platforms monetize our communications, including messages, likes and posts.
This comes after Instagram executed bot purge that stripped millions of followers from several profile accounts. Meta’s decision reflects tension between safety and privacy, while private conversations will no longer be private.