evacideMar 13
In this golden age of surveillance, making E2EE chat normal and expected has been privacy's biggest win. I hate to see it getting rolled back. https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/meta-to-shut-down-instagram-end-to-end.html
Meta to Shut Down Instagram End-to-End Encrypted Chat Support Starting May 2026

Meta will end Instagram E2EE chats May 8, 2026, reversing a 2021 privacy test and reigniting debate over encrypted messaging oversight.

The Hacker News
Show threadCharlie StrossMar 13
@evacide @encthenet Meta is apparently the corporation behind all the international lobbying for laws mandating age verification in operating systems and web browsers. Ditching E2EE in their own product is a no-brainer in this context.
Show threadSarMar 13

@cstross @evacide @encthenet

Was just about to say this. Meta are leading the charge for age verification because they're getting hammered for $58b in COPPA fines, so they're looking to shift the point of responsibility onto anyone else.

Show threadmancubeMar 13
@sar @cstross @evacide @encthenet strikes me similarly; they're trying to show that they're doing something to "protect children" in the face of all the scrutiny they're under about the real harms they don't want to stop perpetuating
Show threadMark Koek
@mancube @sar @cstross @evacide @encthenet you’ve got to wonder why they don’t simply spend that money on some tough moderation instead; just let go of that childish free speech absolutism and fix the poison on those damn platforms
Mar 14 at 9:18amWeb
Show threadmancubeMar 16
@mkoek @sar @cstross @evacide @encthenet could also be about creating backlash against efforts to regulate tech and safety in general too; see if they can get tech libertarianism fired up enough, keep tangentially related nonsense in the news and turn the topic toxic once people get tired of hearing about it. they can also shape opinion by forcing bad solutions on people legislatively