Meta's Instagram is removing one of its biggest user privacy protections.
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Beginning today, May 8, users are losing access to end-to-end encrypted direct messages.
Released in 2023, end-to-end encryption was an optional feature that allowed users to send ultra-private messages.
Now, the feature is being omitted entirely.
With the removal of the feature, messages will now return to standard encryption, which means Meta could access content such as texts, photos, videos and voice notes if required.
The action comes 12 days before the enactment of the Take It Down Act, a federal law signed in May 2025 that mandates that businesses remove non-consensual deepfake images within 48 hours of a victim's report.
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