Meta has reversed course on end-to-end encryption for Instagram direct messages, removing the feature despite previously claiming technical challenges were resolved. The company had implemented E2EE for Instagram DMs as an opt-in option hidden deep within settings, making it virtually inaccessible to most users.

Last year, Meta completed E2EE rollout for Facebook Messenger after years of development. Instagram encryption followed but only as a hard-to-find opt-in feature. Meta now claims they're removing it because "very few people were opting in," despite critics calling this approach deeply cynical given the feature's obscurity.

Security experts note Meta designed the feature to be difficult to discover, then eliminated it for not being popular enough. This creates an unwelcome precedent for privacy features across the tech industry, leaving users' messages more vulnerable and potentially encouraging other companies to cave to government pressure on encryption.