Meta announced it will discontinue end-to-end encryption for Instagram direct messages after May 8, 2026, citing low adoption rates. The company quietly updated its Instagram Help Center, revealing that users who want encrypted messaging can switch to WhatsApp instead. This move affects users who manually enabled the feature in chat settings.

While Meta claims very few people opted into encrypted DMs, critics point out the feature was never enabled by default. Johns Hopkins cryptographer Matthew Green highlighted that Meta had previously committed to making end-to-end encryption standard on Instagram, even conducting a human rights impact assessment in 2022. The company's current justification appears inconsistent with those earlier promises.

The timing raises questions, as Meta recently confirmed that interactions with its Meta AI tools in private conversations may be used for targeted advertising. Removing encryption would allow Meta to access message content for ad targeting purposes. This privacy rollback represents a significant shift for Instagram users who relied on the feature for confidential communications.