Instagram is finally making a significant stride
Instagram by testing a feature that empowers users to disable read receipts for direct messages (DMs). This groundbreaking revelation was unveiled by Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri through their respective broadcast channels.
Responding to user feedback, Mosseri conveyed, “Your voices have been heard, and we’re thrilled to share that we are currently experimenting with a novel feature that grants you the ability to turn off read receipts in your DMs. Soon, users will have the autonomy to choose when they wish to disclose that they’ve perused a message.”
Mosseri showcased a sneak peek of this much-anticipated feature, presenting a screenshot of the Privacy & Safety menu tailor-made for direct messages. To access this menu, users can simply tap the profile name within a chat. If engaged in the testing phase, a user will find a convenient toggle under the “Who can see your activity” section, allowing them to effortlessly disable read receipts.
Unfortunately, the specific details regarding the widespread availability of this feature remain shrouded in ambiguity, as Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has not delineated the scope of the ongoing testing.
It’s noteworthy that Instagram is playing catch-up in this regard, especially when juxtaposed with WhatsApp, which pioneered the option to deactivate read receipts as far back as 2014.
In tandem with this read receipt innovation, Meta is doubling down on fortifying privacy on Instagram by contemplating default end-to-end encryption for DMs. The company’s ambitious timeline aims to complete the rollout of this encryption feature for Messenger by the year’s end, with a subsequent plan to extend its protective cloak to Instagram in the near future.
