“There’s one kind of privacy, which is: what does my cousin know, or what does my co-worker know,” Morris says, “And then there’s the kind of privacy that’s about the data Facebook has.” Facebook’s plan is reportedly to offer end-to-end encryption on all of its messaging apps once the backend systems have been merged. And there’s a major distinction between so-called private messages and what Morris calls “Privacy with a capital P.” Facebook’s efforts to unify its messaging platforms are at least partly rooted in a desire to monetize our activity, whether that’s by keeping us engaged in an outward-facing News Feed or within a little chat box.

Of course, “altruism” in this case only applies to the friends exchanging messages and not the messaging service providers. On the other hand, it makes sense for Facebook for a few reasons. On the one hand, the move is truly Facebookian-just try to extricate yourself from Facebook, and it will try every which way to pull you back in. This would make it possible for people relying on different flavors of Facebook apps to all gorge at the same messaging table. Last week, The New York Times reported that Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg plans to unify Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram messaging on the backend of the services. For me, that process has involved a lot more private messaging.įacebook, it seems, has noticed. Over the past year I’ve found myself thinking not about quitting social networks, but about redefining them.

I am merely one anecdata point among billions, but I’m sure I’m not the only Facebook user who has found herself shying away from the very public, often performative, and even tiring habit of posting regular updates to Facebook and Instagram.

Messenger private message