World law enforcement agencies, including the National Crime Agency in Britain, FBI, and Interpol, have criticized Facebook’s plans to encrypt direct messages on Instagram and Facebook. The reason behind the opposition is the possibility of compromise on child safety.
“The decision to encrypt direct messages on the platforms, which would prevent anyone other than the intended recipient being able to intercept the communications, is an example of a purposeful design choice that degrades safety systems and weakens the ability to keep child users safe,” says the alliance.
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Facebook always had plans to carry out such encryption. It was in 2016 that the initial discussions began. However, it didn’t happen then due to legal and technical issues. Last year, the possibility of encryption actions again took place. Facebook, now, Meta finally activated encryption.
“The overwhelming majority of Brits already rely on apps that use encryption. However, we don’t think people want us to read their private messages, so we have developed safety measures that prevent, detect, and allow us to take action against this heinous abuse while maintaining online privacy and security,” says Meta.