Wetin e mean for your DMs afta IG turn off dia privacy tech?

Instagram users no go fit send veri private direct messages as di feature don dey switched off worldwide.

Di removal of end‑to‑end encryption (E2EE) for messages na major U-turn by parent company Meta wey previously championed di tech as di gold standard for user privacy.

E2EE na di most secure form of online messaging wey dey allow only di sender and receiver to see messages. But campaigners don dey against am for long as dem tok say e go allow extreme content to dey shared online witout say e let authorities chook mouth.

Dis mean say Meta decision dey welcomed by groups including children charities but e dey condemned by privacy advocates.

Bicos dem off E2EE, Instagram go now dey able to get all di content of direct messages wey include images, videos and voice notes.

For 2019, Meta promise say dem go introduce di tech for dia messaging for FB and IG as dem tok say, "di future dey private".

Di company complete di rollout on Facebook Messenger for 2023 and later make di feature optional on Instagram wit plans to make am default.

But afta seven years, Meta say dem no go continue to dey widen di tech for IG wey go for now only offer standard encryption.

Standard encryption mean say one internet service provider fit get private material if e dey needed. E be di common system for most major online services like Gmail.

Di decision don dey welcomed by child protection groups wey don for long dey warn say dis technology fit put dis children inside wahala.

Privacy campaigners say di move mean step backwards.

Maya Thomas from Big Brother Watch say e dey disappointed say "we dey concerned say Meta dey bend to govment pressure".

Years-long fight

Since 2019, Meta don defend dia plans even wen pipo dey criticise dem while working through di technical challenge of bringing di technology to Facebook and Instagram.

Di company no come outside to announce say dem dey comot di tech from Instagram.

Wetin dem do be say dem quietly update di app terms and conditions for March.

Dem write say, "End‑to‑end encrypted messaging on Instagram no go dey supported again afta 8 May, 2026. If you get chats wey go dey affected by dis change, you go see instructions on how to download any media or messages wey you go wan keep."

Meta tell tori pipo say dem take di decision becos not many users bin dey opt in to use di feature.

But commentators say take‑up of optional features dey often low, becos to require users to opt dey create extra friction.

Some analysts, wey include cyber security sabi pesin Victoria Baines, professor of IT for Gresham College, believe say di decision show shift in how Meta dey behave as e concern privacy.

She say, "Social media platforms dey monetise our communications - our posts, likes and messages so dem go fit give us targeted advertising. And more and more, companies like Meta dey focus on training AI models and na for dia messaging data go dey important. I tink di decision dey more complex."

Instagram don tok bifor say direct messages no go dey used to train AI.

Di company bin refuse to tok more about dia decision to do U-turn on privacy, and Instagram boss oga Adam Mosseri no gree make dem interview am.

Last month, Meta tell dia staff say dem go collect dia clicks and activity on work devices as training data for di company AI models.

Campaigners like Big Brother Watch say Meta choice fit influence odas for di social media industry.

Until recently, di spread of E2EE na di clear direction of travel.

But, for March, TikTok tell di BBC say e no get plans to add di technology for direct messages.

Fourteen days later, Instagram kon update dia terms and conditions to confam say dem no go continue.