Facebook Messenger users need to reconsider their app usage due to new privacy protection changes introduced by Meta which increase visibility.
The company made these changes as part of its encryption drive and increased user control initiatives particularly for private conversations.
Facebook Messenger has been developing while users’ expectations concerning internet safety and their need for platform transparency improved.
The rising importance of digital privacy in public debate leads Meta and other corporations to develop user management capabilities for their communications data storage.
Facebook introduced its messaging deletion service known as Vanish Mode which operates in Facebook Messenger and Instagram during 2020.
With this functionality users could send messages that disappeared automatically after viewing by recipients and from the thread upon their exit.
At that time Facebook explained that
You should send text messages spontaneously because you desire to express yourself without considering their permanent existence. The introduction of Vanish Mode on Messenger is what makes us enthusiastic.
Users accessed Vanish Mode by performing an upward swipe in an open chat thread but needed to swipe up a second time to recover standard messaging.
USA Today received a safety-focused statement from Bridget Pujals who manages Messenger Products and Manik Singh who leads Instagram Products about their approach.
“We designed Vanish Mode with safety and choice in mind, so you control your experience.”
The messaging feature started its availability in the United States before it became accessible in EU territories and other regions.
However, Meta has since moved away from Vanish Mode, and it’s now listed as “no longer supported” in the Facebook Help Center.
Credit: (Instagram/zuck)
The company has launched the enhanced privacy solution Disappearing Messages as an advanced version which operates within encrypted messaging systems.
Users can activate this new feature by clicking a contact name in Messenger followed by scrolling to Privacy and Support where they should choose Disappearing Messages.
The integration between end-to-end encryption marks this feature as unique because it protects conversations along with media posted in chats.
The company notes that these disappearing messages are being “gradually introduced” and may not yet be available to all users.
Users gain advanced control through this feature because they can determine the period after which their messages disappear in their personal conversations.
Credit: (Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg)
The implementation method of this feature has become the main focus of public discussion instead of the feature itself.
Mark Zuckerberg published an example post through Facebook which surprised many users nationwide.
Through a screenshot Mark Zuckerberg shared with followers he presented a heartwarming conversation containing a simple joke about a supercomputer to his wife Priscilla Chan.
The CEO used normal social conversation in this post to show how the platform now supports new privacy features in Messenger.
In the post, Zuckerberg revealed:
“New update for end-to-end encrypted Messenger chats so you get a notification if someone screenshots a disappearing message.”
The new features of GIFs stickers along with reactions will be supported across encrypted chat functions.
The deployment of this new feature lets users see when someone screenshot or captured one of their disappearing messages which boosts privacy during private messaging sessions.
Both Meta and its CEO Zuckerberg want to tell users through this update that screenshotting disappearing messages would be difficult in the future. Because now, they’ll know.
Feature Image Credit: (Instagram/zuck) (Alamy) and (CanvaPro)