Meta Just Happens to Expand Messenger's End-to-End Encryption
WiredMAY 2022
Meta Launches End-to-End Encryption for Facebook and Messenger
Image copyright: Chesnot/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Though Meta hasn't admitted that Facebook and its Messenger are unsecured, more than a billion users of its platform were vulnerable to abuse from all sides — from criminals and overbearing governments. Users must always choose apps and platforms that prioritize security and privacy — Meta has finally ticked that important box.
Narrative B
Meta must surely see the danger in trading off user safety for the larger idea of privacy. The company's platforms have, in the past, helped track and corner sexual abusers only because of a lack of encryption. Now that Meta has crossed to the dark side, the world's law enforcement agencies will be left in the lurch on this front.