Meta is expanding testing to bring default end-to-end encryption to its ‘Facebook Messenger’ service.

Acknowledging that users want a space to connect in which they know their conversations are private, safe, and secure, Meta said in a blog post that it has been building a team of engineers, cryptologists, designers, and policy experts who are “all committed to rolling out default end-to-end encryption on Messenger”.

Over the coming months, randomly selected Messenger users will see some of their chats gradually being upgraded with an extra layer of protection provided by end-to-end encryption.

The social media giant added that developing a secure and resilient end-to-end encrypted service for the billions of messages that are sent on Messenger every day requires careful testing, and that the company would provide updates as it continues to make progress towards the goal throughout 2023.

Encrypted communications services have come under scrutiny recently, with the UK’s Online Safety Bill outlining plans to change, and even remove, rules around encryption.

At the time, WhatsApp chief executive Will Cathcart warned: “If the UK decides that it is okay for a government to get rid of encryption, there are governments all around the world that will do exactly the same thing.”

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