Instagram has announced that it will no longer support end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messages, effective May 8th. This decision comes after Meta spokesperson Dina El-Kassaby Luce stated that ‘very few people’ were utilizing this feature in their direct messages on the platform.
Users impacted by this change are being notified within the Instagram app and are advised to download any E2EE chats and images they wish to retain before the feature is removed. El-Kassaby Luce noted that those interested in continuing to message with end-to-end encryption can seamlessly transition to using WhatsApp for this purpose.
This move by Instagram reflects a strategic shift in prioritizing features based on user engagement and demand. While E2EE is a significant security measure for privacy-conscious users, the low adoption rates indicate a need for platforms to allocate resources effectively to features that resonate more with their user base.
Source: The Verge