Jakarta, INTI - TikTok said that their user’s direct message conversations were not equipped with end-to-end encryption (E2EE). This is different from what other social media platforms do, such as Meta’s WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, which have been using E2EE to maximize user privacy.
E2EE is a privacy and security feature that prevents anyone, including the platform itself, from seeing chat messages and conversations. They can only be seen by the chat sender and recipient.
Despite its guaranteed security, the E2EE feature makes it hard for law authorities to view materials in direct messages for the purpose of stopping illegal and harmful content from spreading online.
Governments, police enforcement, and child protection agencies have long been criticizing the feature. They believe E2EE can harm users and allow illegal content sharing, and prevent police and the platform itself from investigating it.
This is the reason for TikTok not implementing E2EE in its direct messages. On Thursday, March 5, 2026, the company told BBC that the feature would only prevent law and safety enforcemnet to access direct messages if they needed to do so.
Even though TikTok does not apply E2EE in direct messages, it said that all direct messages were still secured with standard encryption, just like what Google has for its Gmail.
TikTok’s Decision is Appraised Positively
Matt Navara, a social media industry analyst, said that TikTok’s decision was a smart move. Navara also said that TikTok can argue that they prioritize proactive safety over privacy absolutism.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), a British child protection charity, also welcomed TikTok’s decision. The charity said that platforms with E2EE feature is risky for children becasue it blocks detection of child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Conclusion
TikTok revealed to BBC that it did not use end-to-end encryption (E2EE) feature on direct messages, and only used standard encryption. TikTok reasoned that it is to allow law authorities to investigate harmful and illegal content sharing. TikTok’s decision is welcomed positively by social media analyst and child protection institutions.
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