Meta has announced the end of end-to-end encryption for private messages on Instagram worldwide, marking a major shift in the company’s long-standing approach to user privacy after years of promoting the technology.

The move has sparked mixed reactions, with child protection groups welcoming the decision while privacy advocates warn it undermines digital security protections.

The company had previously pledged in 2019 to expand full encryption across its messaging services, describing the future of communication as “private.”

Although the feature was enabled by default on Facebook Messenger, it remained optional on Instagram without becoming the default setting as originally planned.

The change means Meta will now be able to access the content of private messages, including photos, videos, and voice notes.

Meta says the decision follows low user adoption of the optional feature, while analysts argue that requiring manual activation often limits usage.

Child safety organizations have welcomed the move, saying full encryption can make it harder to detect cases of abuse and exploitation.

Privacy campaigners, however, say the rollback weakens data protection standards and could have wider implications for online privacy.

Experts also suggest the decision may reflect a broader strategic shift within Meta toward data use for artificial intelligence development.

Despite earlier assurances that private messages would not be used for AI training, concerns remain that the policy change could influence the future of encryption across social platforms.