Meta's encryption rollback: what's the scope for privacy on Instagram and beyond now?

Meta has ended support for end-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram, effective May 8, 2026. The policy reversal, citing low adoption, comes against a backdrop of mounting regulatory pressure worldwide to crack down on illegal content — terrorism, piracy, child abuse material — exchanged through encrypted channels. The implications stretch well beyond one platform or a rarely-used feature. When private messages are plaintext, the questions of who can access them and under what circumstances become critical. This episode also unpacks what it means for ordinary users, beyond the privacy-versus-safety framing. Guest: Mishi Choudhary, technology lawyer and founder of Software Freedom Law Centre (sflc.in) Host: Vibha B. Madhava Producer: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices