As Meta moves forward with the removal of end-to-end encryption from Instagram direct messages on May 8, 2026, privacy advocates are making sure their perspective is heard. The change was disclosed through a quiet help page update. Here is the last word from the organizations and individuals who have fought hardest against this decision.
Encryption on Instagram was introduced in 2023 as an opt-in feature following Zuckerberg’s 2019 commitment. Privacy advocates had pushed for it to become the default and were disappointed when it never did. Its removal is a painful but not entirely surprising outcome.
Tom Sulston of Digital Rights Watch was unequivocal in his assessment. He argued that the removal of encryption is a worsening of the platform, not an improvement. He questioned why investment in the feature was not the chosen path and warned that the commercial incentives to use DM content will ultimately prove irresistible for Meta.
Law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Interpol, and national bodies in Australia and the UK had pushed for this change. Child safety advocates backed their position. Australia reportedly saw the feature deactivated before the global deadline. Privacy advocates acknowledge the legitimacy of child safety concerns but maintain that better tools are the answer.
The last word from the privacy community is not resignation but determination. Digital Rights Watch and others are committed to continuing the fight for encryption as a default right. They argue that the removal of Instagram’s encryption is a setback, not the end of the story.