United Kingdom, March 4 -- TikTok has said it will not introduce end-to-end encryption for direct messages.

Setting itself apart from major rivals by arguing the technology would make users less safe, the social media platform, which says it has 30 million monthly users in the UK and more than a billion worldwide, confirmed the position during a briefing with the BBC at its London office.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is widely considered the most secure form of communication available to the public because it ensures only the sender and the recipient of a message can read its contents.

Platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and X have embraced the system in recent years, saying it protects user privacy.

Critics, however, a...