Jake Peterson

Jake Peterson Senior Technology Editor

Experience

Jake Peterson is Lifehacker’s Tech Editor, and has been covering tech news and how-tos for nearly a decade. His team covers all things technology, including AI, smartphones, computers, game consoles, and subscriptions.

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May 8, 2026

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Key Takeaways

After quietly announcing the change in March, Instagram officially removed end-to-end encryption from DMs.

Starting today, May 8, 2026, your DMs will no longer be protected by end-to-end encryption on Instagram.

Instagram could access your messages if it wanted to, and could share them if requested by law enforcement or other organizations.

Don't use Instagram DMs for anything sensitive going forward.…