Apple and Google have begun a beta rollout of end to end encrypted RCS messaging, starting with iPhone users on iOS 26.5 and Android users on the latest Google Messages. iPhone to Android RCS conversations will be encrypted by default using the MLS protocol, with a lock icon confirming protection. Availability depends on supported carriers and expands gradually.
After years of urging Apple to adopt RCS standards, Google says cross platform messaging between Android and iPhone users can now be end to end encrypted. The change aims to make conversations more seamless and safer, narrowing a major security and interoperability gap that persisted as both companies used different messaging systems.
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Meta says it will stop supporting end to end encrypted chats on Instagram from May 2026, citing low adoption and regulatory pressure. While WhatsApp will continue encryption by default, Instagram users will lose a key privacy layer that many relied on for private conversations. The change reignites the debate over how tech companies balance safety demands with user privacy.
Apple and Meta are contesting Canada’s Bill C-22, saying it could compel them to undermine device and service encryption. Law enforcement argues the measure would improve investigative access, but the companies warn it may effectively mandate backdoors or enable government spyware, risking long-term harm to everyday users’ security and privacy.
A US agency abruptly shut down an investigation into claims that Meta can access encrypted WhatsApp messages. The probe stemmed from findings by a Commerce Department investigator who concluded Meta can store and view WhatsApp content. But the agency ended the inquiry soon after he shared his results with other federal officials, leaving questions about how the case was handled.
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