End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram is dead as of today, Friday, May 8, 2026. It showed up as a whisper, a mere murmuring that Instagram ostensibly tried to sneak past the goalposts without much, if any, notice. No explanation of why, no prior warning. Not even a brief on what the death of end-to-end encryption really means for Instagram users. Given that encryption is a boon for users’ privacy, a hard-fought feature that tooks years to come to Instagram, it’s a bitter pill to see it yanked from the platform. It’s a blow to Instagram’s privacy, but you’re not entirely helpless. Because you can’t rely on the big corporations to take your privacy to heart, here’s how you can grab back the reins on your own online privacy. Videos by VICE a staggering reversal There are ways to beef up your online privacy and anonymity in the face of Instagram’s reversal on encrypted messaging. The silver lining is that you’ll make not just your Instagram DMs safer and more secure, but all your online activity.…