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Your Instagram DMs Just Got a Lot Less Private—Here’s How to Claw That Back

Now it’s up to you to keep weirdos, hackers, and snoops from eavesdropping on your private Instagram discussions.

By Matt Jancer | Reviewed by Ysolt Usigan

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End-to-end encrypted messaging on Instagram is dead as of today, Friday, May 8, 2026. It showed up as a whisper, a mere murmuring that Instagram ostensibly tried to sneak past the goalposts without much, if any, notice. No explanation of why, no prior warning. Not even a brief on what the death of end-to-end encryption really means for Instagram users.

Given that encryption is a boon for users’ privacy, a hard-fought feature that tooks years to come to Instagram, it’s a bitter pill to see it yanked from the platform. It’s a blow to Instagram’s privacy, but you’re not entirely helpless. Because you can’t rely on the big corporations to take your privacy to heart, here’s how you can grab back the reins on your own online privacy.

NordVPN (opens in a new window)

a staggering reversal

There are ways to beef up your online privacy and anonymity in the face of........

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