The company completed the rollout on Facebook Messenger in 2023 and later made the feature optional on Instagram with plans to make it default.
But, after seven years, Meta has decided not to proceed with the wider deployment to Instagram, which will now only offer standard encryption.
Standard encryption means an internet service provider can access private material if needed. It is the common system in most major online services such as Gmail.
The decision has been welcomed by child protection groups, including the NSPCC, which has long warned the technology could put children at risk.
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