End-to-end Encryption is finally coming by default to Facebook Messenger

The greatest secure messaging systems use end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default, but some Meta products haven't always followed suit. For instance, E2EE support for group chats and calls was only introduced in Facebook Messenger last year. Despite this delay, the business is still dedicated to increasing the availability of E2EE. By the end of 2023, it plans to make E2EE the standard for one-on-one Messenger chats.

About seven years ago, Meta introduced an option for E2EE talks in Messenger. The E2EE feature of Meta's WhatsApp is widely highlighted, but the firm has been noticeably sluggish to provide Messenger support. When it started testing the app's functionality, Meta started to make strides in that direction. More users will now be able to enable E2EE as part of continuous testing, and according to Meta, it will likely become the default by 2024.

Users of Messenger already have the option to use E2EE in a mode dubbed Secret Conversations, but this function requires user consent. The business is now blaming code even though E2EE has not yet become the norm. In today's statement, Meta discussed its ongoing initiatives to make E2EE the default. To lessen the app's dependency on servers, it said that nearly the whole message and calling code base had to be rewritten. The content of messages delivered via Instagram and Messenger has thus far been processed by servers. Now that material cannot be seen, Meta must create a method for its products to comprehend it.

Fortunately, it has prior knowledge that might be useful. The E2EE capability can be created by the WhatsApp technical team at Meta. In the future, the emphasis will be on restoring the several additional features that Messenger enjoys, such stickers and external link previews. In its last statement, Meta expressed its belief that the most recent testing extension will help it better understand how to implement E2EE for the app.

When the Messenger app is updated to the most recent version, those who are eligible for testing will have the option to deploy E2EE for their talks.