Yalcin Sonat/Shutterstock As of May 8, 2026, Meta, the multinational conglomerate that owns Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, has ended end-to-end encryption for Instagram messages. End-to-end encryption is a security measure that ensures only people participating in a conversation can read the messages contained therein. Messages are encrypted on the sender's device, remain scrambled during transit, and are only decrypted to plain language after reaching the receiver's device. The takeaway is twofold: Meta is now able to read any of the messages sent on its Instagram platform, and the overall security of messaging is much lower, as any messages intercepted in transit are much easier to read. Meta says that instructions will be provided for users who want to download and keep affected chats, and that users who want to continue to communicate on its platforms via secure, encrypted means should use Whatsapp, which still supports end-to-end encryption.…