Facebook Messenger and Instagram, both owned by Meta, have postponed plans to encrypt user messages until 2023. Last year, Meta integrated Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct Messages as part of its goal to establish a unified prompt messaging platform that will eventually include WhatsApp.

While end-to-end encryption is available in Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger, it is not enabled by default.

The delay in Instagram and Facebook Messenger implementing end-to-end encryption by default, according to Antigonoe Davis, Meta's head of security, is delaying personal security.

Although end-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient can read the messages, Davis says that the company must ensure that end-to-end encryption does not compromise individual security.

To help keep its apps secure, the company will employ a mix of non-encrypted and encrypted data once it becomes available by default.

“As a company that links billions of people across the world and has produced industry-leading technology, we're committed to safeguarding people's private communications and keeping them secure online”, adds Davis.

Only the sender and recipient will be able to see their discussions on E2EE, and the company wants to make sure that this does not interfere with the platform's ability to prevent illegal conduct.

Meta once explained that the default E2EE would most likely be made available on Instagram and Messenger during the first few months of next year.

Furthermore, Meta intends to combine the technology that underpins the three messaging systems such as Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct.

Meta claimed earlier this year that end-to-end encryption for Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger would arrive in 2022 at the earliest. However, the company's head of security has stated that the function must be completed correctly, thus the company plans to postpone it until 2023.

On the other hand, word on the street indicates that 2023 could be the year that the UK's online security bill goes into effect. It would need tech behemoths protecting children from harm and dealing with toxic content. Since authorities can demand access to encrypted content material, this could stymie Facebook's attempts to add end-to-end encryption to the platform.

"We're taking our time to do this right. We don't plan to finalize the global rollout of end-to-end encryption by default across all our messaging services until sometime in 2023”, adds Davis.