Messenger is finally getting a feature announced in 2016 by default

It took a few years, but Meta finally turned on encryption end-to-end on the chats of Messenger and Facebook For setting default (do you know how to use Messenger without Facebook?).

But why did it take so long for one function can be activated already in 2016 on a basic basis voluntary? The issue is not so simple to define, and it must be admitted that Zuckerberg’s company is in line with the times it had set itself, at least according to a 2021 announcement (read also: how to unsubscribe from Messenger).

Let’s start from a concept: the encryption end-to-end in messaging apps ensures (up to a point) that your chats are readable only by you and the person you are with exchanged.

This, although sacrosanct from the point of view of privacy, sparked bitter controversy in the United States, where the promoters of safety they claim that it makes it more difficult to deal with individuals who have “bad intentions”. By bad intentions we mean people who organize attacks, mass shootings or otherwise illegal actions.

This is why Messenger had in 2021 delayed the introduction of the function by default, and last year the news that Facebook had turned to the Nebraska police, where abortion it’s illegal, the chats between a mother and her daughter where they were planning the operation.

In his post yesterday, however, Half states that he wanted to take the right time to “do things right“. According to Loredana Crisan, vice president of Messenger, users will not have to sacrifice Messenger features due to encryption, and will still be able to use themes And personalized reactions.

The manager, however, admits that it might take “a little time” for all Messenger chats to switch to default encryption. We also remind you that group chat of Messenger will not be encrypted by default, and the same for Instagram chatalthough Meta promised in August that the feature would be introduced “shortly after” the launch of default Messenger private chats.

In yesterday’s announcement, Crisan further shared other news coming to Messenger, for what it claims to be “the biggest update since its launch in 2011“.

Among these is the possibility of edit a message up to 15 minutes after sending it (you will still be able to report abuse of an edited message, and Meta will be able to see previous versions). Also now i ephemeral messages of Messenger last 24 hours after sending, and the interface is now clearer to let users understand when the feature is active (they are only active in encrypted conversations).

Another novelty concerns the reading confirmation, or rather the possibility of letting others know or not that you have read a message,. This will allow you to decide if you don’t want to immediately reply to a contact without them knowing that you have read their message. Finally, it’s now easier on Messenger share photos with more controls and a new interface, and the ability to share images and videos in HD is being tested.