FacebooK’s new umbrella company Meta’s push for a more tailored experience will take longer than the company initially hoped. Security chief Antigone Davis announced that the rollout of the default end-to-end encrypted messaging on Facebook Messenger and Instagram has been delayed “to sometime in 2023”. Davis said the social media firm originally planned for this initiative to be completed by 2022, but it needed extra time to “get it right.”
The extra privacy is already enabled on WhatsApp, but still requires you to start an encrypted chat on Facebook Messenger and Instagram (“Secret Conversations” in Messenger).
The delay could lead to awkward timing, at least in the UK. The country is enacting a safety law in 2023 that will require tech companies to prevent abuse and protect children. While it doesn’t require encryption for backdoors, current UK Home Secretary Priti Patel isn’t shy about opposing the default encryption, saying it would “seriously” limit law enforcement’s ability to track criminals. Meta may face pressure to change their plans until the law takes effect.
Davis says Meta will still have the power to detect abuse through a combination of unencrypted information and user reports. The delay can also provide time for governments to reassure and avoid potential conflict. While the chat encryption isn’t outright threatened, the longer timeframe does add some uncertainty. . .
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