Instagram privacy tech turned off - what does this mean for DMs?

Instagram users will no longer be able to send ultra‑private direct messages, as the feature is switched off globally. The removal of end‑to‑end encryption (E2EE) on messages amounts to a major U‑turn by parent company Meta, which previously championed the tech as the gold standard for user privacy. E2EE is the most secure form of online messaging - allowing only the sender and recipient to view messages - but has long been opposed by campaigners who say it allows extreme content to be spread online without the authorities being able to intervene. That means Meta's decision has been welcomed by groups including children's charities - but condemned by privacy advocates. By switching off E2EE, Instagram will now be able to access all the content of direct messages, including images, videos and voice notes. In 2019, Meta pledged to introduce the technology across messaging on Facebook and Instagram, saying "the future is private". The company completed the rollout on Facebook Messenger in 2023 and later made the feature optional on Instagram with plans to make it default. But, after seven years, Meta has decided not to proceed with the wider deployment to Instagram, which will now onl