Facebook has eliminated some of the functions for Instagram and Messenger and explains why: it’s the new e-Privacy Directive that came into force in 2020
Facebook says goodbye – at least for the moment – to some functions previously available on Messenger and Instagram. The reason, the social network explains on the blog dedicated to the platform: it is the entry into force of additional stringent rules, included in the ePrivacy Directive, which will come into force in 2020.
The Directive 2002/58/EC, often referred to as the ePrivacy Directive, regulates the processing of personal data and the protection of personal information concerning the privacy of users. Active on the whole territory of the European Community, it has recently widened its horizons by integrating in its legislation other communication tools, such as communication and messaging services. The directive, in fact, goes to place an absolutely stringent limit to the methods of use by companies of call data related to telecommunications implemented so far, thus protecting more information collected. For this reason, Facebook will say goodbye to some functions for Messenger and Instagram.
What’s changing on Messenger and Instagram
In order to comply with the e-Privacy Directive, Facebook had to act on the data related to communications by isolating them, in fact, from other sections of the infrastructure. This was necessary in order to offer greater protection, especially in Europe, materially limiting some of the services offered, with some minor inconvenience due to the update operations.
At the moment, among the services affected by the update there would be surveys, both on Facebook and Instagram, as well as personalized answers on Messenger. To this, Instagram stickers are added as well, as well as the sharing of augmented reality effects through private messages on the platform dedicated to the sharing of photographic content.
Facebook has not specified in detail what are currently all the banned services but, a few hours after the ban, users have begun to report the first problems encountered on the two platforms. Even simple file transfer via Messenger would be blocked, regardless of the format of the document itself.
Facebook, the fight against child pornography and the e-Privacy Directive
As specified in the post, Facebook indicates how the Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive prohibits messaging and calling services from using data to prevent, detect and report in case of sending or exchanging child pornography, as the directive would not provide a legal basis for the tools in question, at least according to the European Commission.
The social networking giant, however, recalled its commitment to identifying such materials within the platform, including through the analysis of message metadata in identifying patterns of abuse. All of this, according to Facebook, would take place through respecting the privacy of users’ message content, using “metadata to share security alerts, identify potentially malicious accounts and protect children.”
Facebook said it was confident it could work with European policymakers and other stakeholders on these terms, including in light of initiatives like Project Protect that “can create a common approach that protects privacy and keeps people safe online.”