Facebook Delays Plans to Use End-to-End Encryption As Default for Messenger and Instagram Messages Until at Least 2023

Facebook, now rebranded to "Meta," is delaying plans to use end-to-end encryption for Messenger and Instagram messages until at least 2023, a year later than the previous deadline promised by the social media behemoth.

General Insta Facebook Messenger Feature Blue
Writing in The Telegraph, Meta's head of global safety, Antigone Davis, said that the company is pushing back its deadline to roll out end-to-end encryption as the default for billions of Messenger and Instagram users until "sometime in 2023." Meta claims this delay is meant to give it extra time to coordinate with experts in the field of combating online abuse while also protecting user privacy.

We're taking our time to get this right and we don't plan to finish the global rollout of end-to-end encryption by default across all our messaging services until sometime in 2023. As a company that connects billions of people around the world and has built industry-leading technology, we're determined to protect people's private communications and keep people safe online.

Facebook had previously set in motion a plan to fully encrypt all messages in Messenger and Instagram in 2022, but following that announcement, government officials, institutions, and others raised concerns. Concerns amount to whether end-to-end encryption will make it harder for law enforcement to protect public and child safety.

Davis said that a balance can be and must be accomplished. "We believe people shouldn't have to choose between privacy and safety," Davis wrote, adding that Meta is "engaging with privacy and safety experts, civil society and governments to make sure we get this right."

Instagram, owned by Meta, has introduced features and changes to improve the platform for younger users, including automatically defaulting the accounts of users under the age of 18 to private. Meta is also relying on people's goodwill to combat possible abuse on its platform.

Third, we're actively encouraging people to report harmful messages to us and will prompt them to do so when we think there could be a problem. Once they do, we can view the reported message, investigate the content, offer support where appropriate, and take action where necessary. Where we find abuse, we make referrals to the authorities and respond swiftly to valid requests for data to support law enforcement investigations – as we always will.

Davis is defended the need for end-to-end encryption, citing recent cases with data requests from law enforcement showing that the majority of user information requested is non-encrypted in the first place. "While no systems are perfect, this shows that we can continue to stop criminals and support law enforcement," Davis wrote.

Meta already utilizes end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp, but that privilege is not extended by default to all Facebook Messenger and Instagram DM users. In August, Instagram said it would be testing "opt-in" end-to-end encryption chats for a limited number of adult users in certain countries. Signal, Telegram, and iMessage are all end-to-end encrypted with no need to "opt-in" to the most secure form of mobile communication.

Popular Stories

Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
foldable iphone mockup

Foldable iPhone Leak Reveals New Camera Details

Thursday June 26, 2025 3:01 am PDT by
A new rumor today surfaced about Apple's book-style foldable iPhone, set to be released next year, and this time it's about the cameras. Mockup of foldable iPhone in its unfolded state (Image: Digital Chat Station) In a previous report, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expects the foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold" for short) to include a dual-lens rear camera, but Kuo provided no other...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

iPhone 17 Air Screen Protector Reveals a Potential Design Difference

Thursday June 26, 2025 11:05 am PDT by
A screen protector that is allegedly designed for Apple's rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air model has revealed a potential design difference. Based on an image shared today by a leaker known as Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Air's front camera may be positioned to the left of the Dynamic Island, rather than to the right of it like on iPhone models released over the past few years. It is unclear...
All Screen iPhone 2030 Feature

Here's What Apple's iPhone Could Look Like Every Year Through 2030

Thursday June 26, 2025 5:24 am PDT by
Earlier this week, reputable display analyst Ross Young of Counterpoint Research reignited discussion around recent reports about the display changes we should expect for next year's iPhone 18 Pro, and perhaps more notably, broader changes coming to the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027 – as well as what lies ahead for Apple's flagship device for the rest of the decade. Contradicting a...

Top Rated Comments

aloyouis Avatar
47 months ago
End to end encryption but THEY will still be reading them and lifting everything they want from the messages?

They will keep other from stealing what they steal?

So they are simply protecting their product?

LOL. FB sucks.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
47 months ago
Facebook has a bridge to sell you. I encrypt Facebook by not using Facebook.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
47 months ago
That’s fine. I don’t think anyone cares or anyone is looking forward to this.

Facebook and Privacy don’t go together. Clueless, especially with that Meta, Beta name.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GustavPicora Avatar
47 months ago
"...We're taking our time to get this right..." meaning, to add end-2-end encryption while still being able to sneak around when they want. Thats their definition of "right".
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4743913 Avatar
47 months ago
encryption and privacy are not even in the vocabulary of people who use these apps.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roar08 Avatar
47 months ago
Translation: we need to make sure all the backdoors are properly installed.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)