According to Facebook, people are requesting an experience free of unwanted intrusions, more protection from scams and hacking, and privacy controls as the use of private messaging apps like Messenger rises in the pandemic.
Although Facebook plans to make further progress this year on default end-to-end encryption for Messenger and Instagram Direct, it’s a long-term project that won’t be completely end-to-end encrypted until at least 2022.
Users want to know how their data is used and what data Facebook or others have access to when messaging.
Facebook said in a blog post on the future of private messaging that “We should consider ways to give people more privacy settings and features within our messaging apps. This also requires thoughtful product design and user education to make the features easy to find and easy to use,”
It is reported that users also desire to manage unwanted interactions.
Facebook during its recent workshop, “We already filter messages into request folders and we take steps to restrict adult-to-minor messaging on Messenger and Instagram. Last year, we introduced safety features like blocking images or links in message requests and messaging settings,”
Experts also urged Facebook to step up its efforts to fight scams and secure users’ personal details.
Commenting on the development, Gail Kent, Messenger Policy Director, said that “They urged us to continue considering the human rights impact of our products.
We need to find a balance of safety, privacy, and security. There is a clear need to balance the privacy and security of people’s messages with maintaining a safe environment and providing data to law enforcement in response to potential real world harms,”
Users are worried about the security of their online personal data and the privacy of their communications when they use the Internet.
In 2019, 7 out of 10 in the United States said their personal information was less safe than it was five years ago.