OpenAI Moves to Acquire Neptune as It Expands AI Training Capabilities 
Intel Boosts Malaysia Operations with Additional RM860 Million Investment 
Apple Leads Singles’ Day Smartphone Sales as iPhone 17 Demand Surges 
Australia Releases New National AI Plan, Opts for Existing Laws to Manage Risks 
Banks Consider $38 Billion Funding Boost for Oracle, Vantage, and OpenAI Expansion 
Coupang Apologizes After Massive Data Breach Affecting 33.7 Million Users 
TSMC Accuses Former Executive of Leaking Trade Secrets as Taiwan Prosecutors Launch Investigation 
Norway’s Wealth Fund Backs Shareholder Push for Microsoft Human-Rights Risk Report 
Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX 
Baidu Cuts Jobs as AI Competition and Ad Revenue Slump Intensify 
Amazon and Google Launch New Multicloud Networking Service to Boost High-Speed Cloud Connectivity 
YouTube Agrees to Follow Australia’s New Under-16 Social Media Ban 
Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation 
Australia Moves Forward With Teen Social Media Ban as Platforms Begin Lockouts 
Samsung Launches Galaxy Z TriFold to Elevate Its Position in the Foldable Smartphone Market 
EU Prepares Antitrust Probe Into Meta’s AI Integration on WhatsApp 
Apple Appoints Amar Subramanya as New Vice President of AI Amid Push to Accelerate Innovation 
Meta, formerly Facebook, has been pitching an update to the messaging functions of Facebook and Instagram for years that would add end-to-end encryption (E2EE). However, the social media giant has now announced its launch is not taking place anytime before 2023.
Antigone Davis, Meta’s Global Head of Safety, announced the new release timeline on Sunday Telegraph, suggesting the decision follows the “ongoing debate” on how E2EE could be implemented without impeding the law enforcement’s crackdown on online abuse.
Exactly how Meta is going to approach the E2EE implementation on Facebook and Instagram messages is still unclear. But Davis provided an overview, saying, “As we roll out end-to-end encryption we will use a combination of non-encrypted data across our apps, account information and reports from users to keep them safe in a privacy-protected way while assisting public safety efforts.” Davis added that this is the same model Meta has been using on WhatsApp, where E2EE has long been in place while the company has been able to “make vital reports to child safety authorities.”
The use of E2EE on Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct Messages was first reported in 2019. In recent years, Facebook has introduced cross-messaging app features across social networks and mobile apps it owns. E2EE would be an important feature to make the plan work since it is a foundational feature of WhatsApp, a messaging app that is currently used by more than two billion people worldwide.
Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, former acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel and Australia’s then-Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton (currently Minister for Defence) have co-signed an open letter in response to Facebook’s planned E2EE across apps. One of their demands was that Facebook and tech companies should “enable law enforcement to obtain lawful access to content in a readable and usable format” amid plans of introducing wider privacy and encryption features.
Meta doubled down on its plans of expanding the use of E2EE outside WhatsApp this year. The company introduced E2EE for Messenger voice and video calls, along with the confirmation that it plans on adding the same security feature to Messenger group chats and calls, along with an opt-in E2EE for Instagram DMs.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
