Meta has revealed that all Facebook and Messenger conversations will be encrypted by default.
End-to-end-encryption (E2EE) ensures that messages and calls can only be seen by the sender and recipient.
For years, encryption of messages has been an option, but now it will become the standard.
UK police and government have expressed their belief that the introduction of the new system will make it more challenging to uncover child sexual abuse on the platform.
Nobody, not even Meta, can gain access to any communication sent or stated, unless it is reported to us," said Loredana Crisan, head of Messenger, in a post introducing the new protection.
The company collaborated with outside experts, academics, advocates, and governments to evaluate and recognize potential risks, making sure that privacy and safety remain intertwined, the author noted.
It is anticipated that messages on Instagram (which is also owned by Meta) may receive encryption as the default setting in the coming year.
Meta states that when chats are upgraded to be encrypted, users will be alerted and asked to set up a recovery system to retrieve messages if their device is lost, changed, or added.
Apps such as iMessage, Signal and WhatsApp all guard the secrecy of their messages with E2EE technology, though this technique has become controversial in political circles.
The backers of the apps maintain that the tech safeguards privacy and security, even for kids.
However, law enforcement, certain charities dedicated to children and the Home Office have all voiced their dissent to the increased use of E2EE.
The newly adopted Online Safety Act gives Ofcom the potential to demand that technology firms inspect encrypted messages for any indications of child abuse. In response, Signal and WhatsApp have declared their non-compliance with such requests.
Despite having the capability to do so, Meta has faced consistent demands to restrict the development of End-to-End Encryption.
James Babbage, who is the director of general threats at the National Crime Agency (NCA), stated in September that the introduction of end-to-end encryption by Facebook would be immensely detrimental to our ability to safeguard children.
The then home secretary, Suella Braverman, claimed that Facebook Messenger and Instagram direct messages were favored by online paedophiles. She informed the BBC that "each month, we arrest about 800 people for this type of offence and protect around 1,200 children from its wickedness".
Meta asserted that they had invested years crafting robust security protocols to prevent, spot, and address misuse while preserving digital safety.
When E2EE is the default setting, we will deploy a range of tools, including AI, to pinpoint accounts that display suspicious behavior in accordance with the law instead of scrutinizing individual messages, stated the entity.
On Wednesday, the company declared that they would incorporate a range of fresh capabilities, including the capacity to modify messages for a period of up to 15 minutes once they have been transmitted.
This will also enable users to determine whether or not individuals who sent messages get informed through "read receipts" that their messages have been seen.
It was stated by the company that it will take several months for the changes to be completely implemented.
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