Is Instagram Messaging Still Safe as Meta wipes out End-to-End Encryption?
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
ISLAMABAD – Instagram is famous among young people who spend hours texting, and scrolling on Meta owned app and user even feel free to share private thoughts, photos, and moments through direct messages, trusting that their conversations are protected. But that sense of privacy is now being questioned as tech giant Meta deciding to end end-to-end encryption on Instagram DMs, the platform is stepping away from its strongest layer of message security. What was once a fully private exchange between two users will now rely on standard protections, changing how safely personal conversations are stored and accessed. Instagram’s DM is set for major transformation from 8 May 2026, after parent company removes end-to-end encryption (E2EE) from the platform. The decision means that Instagram DMs will no longer be protected by the highest standard of messaging security, where only the sender and receiver can access content. Instead, Meta will shift to standard encryption, a system that allows service providers to potentially access user data under certain conditions. The move marks dramatic U-turn for Meta, which for years promoted end-to-end encryption as the “gold standard” of online privacy and repeatedly promised to expand it across Facebook and Instagram. In 2019, the company declared that “the future is private” and began gradually rolling out encrypted messaging features. By 2023, Facebook Messenger had already been fully encrypted, and Instagram later introduced E2EE as an optional feature, with plans to eventually make it mandatory. However, those plans have now been abandoned. Meta has quietly updated Instagram’s terms of service, confirming that encrypted messaging will no longer be available after May 2026. The change could impact millions of Instagram users worldwide who rely on direct messages for private communication, including photos, videos, and voice notes. Once the update takes effect, Meta will technically be able to access this content under its standard