Facebook to kill native chat, bring opt-in crypto to Messenger

Facebook offers choice between bots and spies, or quiet privacy

Facebook will shutter its native message facility, forcing users to install the Messenger client which will sport opt-in end-to-end encryption.

The change brings the ad-slinger inline with Google's Allo chat service, which will activate its privacy conscious mode only if users flick a switch.

That decision won brought derision from privacy pundits who argue end-to-end encryption should be the default state with users opting-out should they wish to use the data-sniffing artificial intelligence features.

End-to-end encryption would effectively black-out conversations to all but sender and recipient, assuming the devices they use are not compromised.

Seriously, fuck you @facebook. Really. Fuck you. I don't want install any of your spyware apps pic.twitter.com/Co5tnzaTkF

— xn--upright-xh94f (@typhoonfilsy) June 1, 2016

Sources close to Facebook's Messenger client told The Grauniad the Messenger end-to-end encryption client will be released in "coming months".

It is unknown if Facebook will time its torpedoing of the native chat feature with the release of the crypto feature in a bid to placate the privacy crowd.

The client has today been released for the six Windows 10 Mobile users. ®