Meta’s platforms are taking divergent paths on encryption. Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption from its DMs starting May 8, 2026, while WhatsApp will continue to offer the feature by default. Meta confirmed the Instagram change through an understated help page update, sparking debate about consistency and platform strategy.
Encryption on Instagram launched in 2023 following Mark Zuckerberg’s 2019 commitment. It was opt-in and attracted few users. Meta says this low uptake is why the feature is being removed from Instagram, while WhatsApp’s universal adoption of encryption makes it a very different case.
The practical effect of the Instagram change is significant. After May 8, Meta will be able to read all Instagram direct messages. WhatsApp users, meanwhile, will continue to communicate in messages that not even Meta can access. The divergence raises questions about equity between the platforms.
Law enforcement had pushed for greater access to Instagram messages for years. The FBI, Interpol, and agencies in the UK and Australia had argued encryption was enabling crime. Child safety organizations backed their position. Australia reportedly saw the feature deactivated ahead of the global deadline.
Tom Sulston of Digital Rights Watch offered an explanation for the divergence: Meta may be drawing a strategic line between social media platforms, where users discover each other, and messaging apps, where users know each other. He added that the commercial opportunity of accessing Instagram DM content was likely another factor in the decision.