Meta rolls out end-to-end encryption for Messenger and Facebook
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced on Thursday that it has begun rolling out end-to-end encryption across its Messenger and Facebook platforms. This means that Meta will no longer have access to the contents of what users send or receive, unless a user reports a message.
Loredana Crisan, the company’s vice-president for Messenger, stated that the encryption was built on the Signal protocol and Meta’s own Labyrinth protocol. She also mentioned that the new features announced as part of the rollout took years to develop, involving engineers, designers, cryptographers, and others rebuilding the app from the ground up.
The move comes after Messenger had opt-in encrypted messaging since 2016, with the intention of rolling out the feature by default in 2022, a plan that was delayed due to concerns about preventing Meta from detecting child abuse on its platform.
Despite the new features being available immediately, it will take some time for Messenger chats to be updated with default end-to-end encryption, with Meta stating that it will take months for the change to be rolled out to the more than 1 billion users on the platform.
Law enforcement and child protection groups have raised concerns about the implementation of end-to-end encryption, with former UK home secretary Suella Braverman urging Meta not to go ahead with the plan, citing the need for appropriate safeguards to sit alongside the new encryption features.
End-to-end encryption will not apply to Instagram for now, but the company said it would be applied shortly after the Messenger upgrade is completed. WhatsApp conversations are already encrypted.
In addition to the new encryption features, Meta announced other new functionalities such as the ability to edit a message for up to 15 minutes after it was sent, disappearing messages lasting 24 hours, control over whether a user can see if their message has been read, and the ability to listen to voice messages at increased speeds.
The move is likely to prompt further discussions about the balance between privacy and safety on social media platforms, as well as concerns about the potential impact on law enforcement and child protection efforts.