Facebook Messenger conversations could soon be more private than ever
Social media giant Facebook will use end-to-end encryption in a new feature it is testing to keep conversations between users of its Messenger instant messaging service “secret”
Facebook is taking a big step towards keeping Messenger users’ conversations safe from prying eyes: The company is testing a new feature it calls “secret conversations”, which uses end-to-end encryption to lock up messages.
Using end-to-end encryption means that only the sender and recipient of a message will able to unlock and read it – even Facebook itself won’t be able to see what you’re talking about. In a recent blog post announcing the test, Facebook highlighted sensitive topics such as health and financial information as among the reasons users might want to use it.
End-to-end encryption has seen a boom in popularity in recent years as mainstream tech companies have started integrating it into their products amid heightened cybersecurity and surveillance fears. But that boom has also raised concerns from some law enforcement officials that it could stop them from being able to access the communications of criminals and terrorists even when investigators obtain a warrant.
The Messenger feature will not be turned on by default; users will have to choose to start a secret conversation. In addition to providing end-to-end protections, the feature will also allow users to set a time limit for how long each message will remain visible in a conversation.
However, secret conversations currently don’t support some popular features, such as sharing GIFs or videos.