Security News > 2023 > August > Meta Set to Enable Default End-to-End Encryption on Messenger by Year End

Meta has once again reaffirmed its plans to roll out support for end-to-end encryption by default for one-to-one friends and family chats on Messenger by the end of the year.

"Like many messaging services, Messenger and Instagram DMs were originally designed to function via servers," Timothy Buck, product manager for Messenger, said.

"Meta's servers act as the gateway between the message sender and receiver, what we call the clients."

The addition of an encryption layer meant that the entire system had to be redesigned such that the servers could not process or validate the message content and, at the same time, ensure the timely delivery of the messages.

The Menlo Park-based company said it set up a new infrastructure of Hardware Security Modules to maintain E2EE and allow users to access their message history through protections such as a PIN. Meta further noted that it rebuilt over 100 features in Messenger, including sharing links to external sites like YouTube, without breaking encryption safeguards.

While law enforcement agencies have sought to push back on platforms enabling encrypted messages by default since it creates new hurdles for obtaining evidence of criminal activity, E2EE is seen as a crucial deterrent against unwanted leaks or spying on personal communications.

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2023/08/meta-set-to-enable-default-end-to-end.html