New Delhi, March 17 -- Meta's decision to discontinue end-to-end encrypted direct messages on Instagram from 8 May 2026 has reignited a long-running debate: should digital communication be fully private, or should platforms retain visibility to prevent crime and protect vulnerable users?

Meta has attributed the rollback to low user interest in the feature, introduced in 2023, and says users seeking private messaging can turn to WhatsApp. The move also comes as encrypted messaging faces growing scrutiny from governments and lawmakers worldwide.

From the UK's efforts to access encrypted data to legal challenges in the US around child safety, regulators are increasingly questioning whether private messaging makes it harder to detect crime....