Article Title: Instagram Testing Option to Turn Off Read Receipts for Direct Messages
Instagram is currently testing a feature on its platform that will allow users to turn off read receipts for direct messages. This feature would give users the option to decide whether or not the sender of a message should know if it has been read, similar to the blue and gray ticks on WhatsApp.
The testing of the feature was announced by Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, the parent company of Instagram, and Adam Mosseri, the head of the social media platform. Mosseri also shared a screenshot of what the new option will look like.
Once the read receipts are turned off, the sender will no longer be able to see the “seen” label on the chat window, even if the message has been read. Users will find the option to toggle the read receipts in the Privacy and Safety settings, under the “Who can see your activity” category.
This development comes after WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, added the read receipt feature back in 2014. In addition to this, Meta is working on enabling end-to-end encryption by default for Messenger and plans to roll out the default end-to-end encryption protection for Instagram DMs.
As the feature is currently being tested, Instagram users can stay up to date with the latest news on the platform via the announcement made by Mosseri. As of now, the company has not indicated when the feature is expected to be officially launched.
The potential option to turn off read receipts for direct messages is designed to address user feedback and give greater control over their privacy settings on the social media platform. If successfully rolled out, the feature will provide users with more flexibility in managing their interactions on Instagram.
I have over 10 years of experience in the field of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. I have attended numerous conferences and events around the world, and my work has been featured in major publications such as CoinDesk, Bitcoin Magazine, and Yahoo Finance.