Social Media Giant Extends End-to-End Encryption To Messenger Calls and Instagram Messages
Days after announcing its new privacy settings, Facebook announced that end-to-end encryption (E2EE) – a method to secure data communication between two parties – will soon be available on Messenger voice and video calls and Instagram DMs.
Effectively, E2EE is a security feature that stops third parties from snooping or eavesdropping in on your calls and messages.
Facebook Inc on Friday rolled out end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls on Messenger, adding another layer of privacy to its widely used communications platform. https://t.co/fuolsJBbfj
— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) August 14, 2021
The end-to-end encryption feature has been available to Facebook users since 2016, despite the company having faced ongoing pressures from governments to axe it from the site.
Facebook’s Ruth Kricheli, director of product management for Messenger, announced in a blog post last Friday:
“Nobody else, including Facebook, can see or listen to what’s sent or said… End-to-end encryption is already widely used by apps like WhatsApp to keep personal conversations safe from hackers and criminals… It’s becoming the industry standard and works like a lock and key, where just you and the people in the chat or call have access to the conversation.”
Additionally, Facebook is updating its expiring message feature; users will be able to select a period of 5 seconds to 24 hours before all new messengers disappear.
“People expect their messaging apps to be secure and private, and with these new features, we’re giving them more control over how private they want their calls and chats to be.” – Ruth Kricheli
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