Meta plan to make Facebook messages more secure faces law enforcement backlash

The long-running battle over encryption between tech companies and law enforcement continues, with law enforcement agencies around the world calling on Meta to cancel plans for end-to-end encryption of Facebook and Instagram messages.

End-to-end encryption (often called "E2EE") boosts security and privacy for all users, whether law-abiding or not. But government officials have long opposed plans to make the technology more widely available, citing the risk that terrorists, sex traffickers, child abusers, and other criminals will use encrypted messages to evade law enforcement.

The latest call to abandon encryption plans was made today by the Virtual Global Taskforce, a consortium of 15 law enforcement agencies including two from the US: the FBI and ICE Homeland Security Investigations. The task force focuses specifically on child sexual abuse; other members include Europol and agencies from the UK, Canada, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and South Korea.