Facebook follows WhatsApp with end-to-end encryption feature for users

Six months after WhatsApp enabled end-to-end encryption for its users, Facebook has rolled out the same feature for its users.

With the app, users can now converse with their friends and family with no fear of being monitored by not only hackers or government agencies but also Facebook itself. The initiative comes as a huge relief for users after the recent news that Yahoo had handed over emails of its users to US intelligence agencies.

A Facebook spokesperson told WIRED that the company had only recently completed the rollout of its ''Secret Conversations'' to all 900 million Facebook Messenger users over the past few weeks.

Although the company's software updates for iOS and Android carried no mention of the encryption feature, users who updated their Messenger app would now find the ''secret'' option on the top right of the ''new message'' screen.

Users can now activate the Messenger's new encryption feature by tapping on a user's name in any regular chat.  However, the feature needs to be enabled manually for each and every chat and activation requires both participants to have the latest version of the app installed on their devices.

After the feature is enabled, users have to option of setting a self-destruct timer on their messages ranging from five seconds to a day.

However, commentators point out that users' business was the social network's business that there was no guarantee that secret conversations would not be mined for their advertising potential.

Calling something encrypted or secret allowed people to lower their guard and they tended to share their deepest, darkest secrets. They point out that Facebook would do well to leave conversations in secret mode alone, which meant secret conversations and topics were fenced off from advertising, friend suggestions or marketplace recommendations.

Six months after WhatsApp enabled end-to-end encryption for its billion users, Facebook has rolled out the same feature for its users.

With the app, users can now converse with their friends and family with no fear of being monitored by not only hackers or government agencies but also Facebook itself. The initiative comes as a huge relief for users after the recent news that Yahoo had handed over emails of its users to US intelligence agencies.

A Facebook spokesperson told WIRED that the company had only recently completed the rollout of its ''Secret Conversations'' to all 900 million Facebook Messenger users over the past few weeks.

Although the company's software updates for iOS and Android carried no mention of the encryption feature, users who updated their Messenger app would now find the ''secret'' option on the top right of the ''new message'' screen.

Users can now activate the Messenger's new encryption feature by tapping on a user's name in any regular chat.  However, the feature needs to be enabled manually for each and every chat and activation requires both participants to have the latest version of the app installed on their devices.

After the feature is enabled, users have to option of setting a self-destruct timer on their messages ranging from five seconds to a day.

However, commentators point out that users' business was the social network's business that there was no guarantee that secret conversations would not be mined for their advertising potential.

Calling something encrypted or secret allowed people to lower their guard and they tended to share their deepest, darkest secrets. They point out that Facebook would do well to leave conversations in secret mode alone, which meant secret conversations and topics were ringfenced from advertising, friend suggestions or marketplace recommendations.