Instagram Ends Encrypted Messaging – DTH

DTH-6-150x150Instagram will disable the option to encrypt private messages, Apple home devices executive departs to join fitness tech maker Oura, and Meta announces end of support dates for VR in Horizon Worlds.

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Show Notes

Instagram will no longer offer encrypting private messages between users beginning May 8th, 2026. Meta was previously criticized by child safety groups, Interpol, the FBI, and other law enforcement bodies over the encryption, claiming it weakened the ability to keep kids safe online. The Guardian reports the feature is already disabled for Australian users. A Meta spokesperson said the encrypted messaging had low uptake and “Anyone who wants to keep messaging with end-to-end encryption can easily do that on WhatsApp.”

Source: The Guardian

Sources tell Reuters Nvidia obtained Beijing’s approval to sell its second-most powerful AI chips within China, as selective US approval was previously secured, and Nvidia is prepping a version of the Groq AI chip to be sold in China. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company’s supply chain is “getting fired up” following the production halt in 2025 due to regulatory issues. Sources say the Groq chip is expected to be available in May.

Source: Reuters

In a court filing on Tuesday, the US government argues Anthropic’s first amendment rights were not violated by designating the AI developer a supply-chain risk. The filing notes concerns that “Anthropic could attempt to disable its technology or preemptively alter the behavior of its model either before or during ongoing warfighting operations, if Anthropic—in its discretion—feels that its corporate ‘red lines’ are being crossed.” Anthropic requests business to resume as usual until the litigation is fully resolved. Judge Rita Lin in federal court in San Francisco will hold a hearing on the matter next Tuesday.

Source: Wired

Meta emailed Horizon Worlds users the VR world will no longer be available on Quest VR headsets beginning March 31st, 2026, removing it from the Quest store. Perks like avatars, Meta Credits, in-world purchases, and some digital clothes will also be removed. VR worlds will be fully shut down on June 15th, making the service only available as a mobile platform. Meta told Wired the company plans to continue investments in VR.

Source: Wired

The 9th U.S. ‌Circuit Court of Appeals halted a previous order for Perplexity AI to cease using its agentic shopping tool on Amazon while it considers Perplexity’s request for a longer pause to last through the complete appeal. Amazon sued Perplexity in November 2025, alleging security risks by the AI company covertly accessing Amazon accounts within the Comet browser and disguising automated activity as human browsing. Amazon also stated Perplexity ignored repeated requests to cease these actions.

Source: Reuters

Apple’s senior director in charge of home devices, Brian Lynch left Apple to join Finnish health technology company Oura, best known for a fitness tracking ring. The move follows repeated launch delays by Apple’s smart home devices division, though a smart display is now projected to be available as early as September 2026, with a sensor and tabletop robot planned for 2027. Lynch’s new title is senior vice president for hardware engineering. Apple declined to comment.

Source: Gizmodo

Earlier this week music streaming app Musi’s lawsuit against Apple over the app’s removal from the App Store in 2024 was dismissed, with prejudice. US District Judge Eumi Lee in the Northern District of California ruled Apple is permitted to delist apps within the store “with or without cause” as laid out in the Apple Developer Program License Agreement. Musi operated by playing music from YouTube, while claiming not to use YouTube’s API and therefore weren’t bound by Google’s terms of service for the platform. Musi displayed its own ads, which could be removed for $5.99. Judge Lee also noted a Rule 11 violation by Musi’s lawfirm, asserting a “bad faith” allegation without factual support, and has been ordered to pay Apple’s costs and legal fees related to the sanctions motion.

Source: Ars Technica and 9to5Mac

US retailer GameStop updated the company’s retro console designation list to include the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the Wii U. The 360 launched in 2005, the PS3 in 2006, and the Wii U in late 2012. These newly retro consoles can now be traded in to GameStop even if they don’t fully work, are missing accessories, or are “aesthetically unfortunate”, as long as they power on. The official statement closes with “GameStop would also like to remind the public that while these systems are now officially classified as retro, they are still very cool, and anyone who owned one at launch is absolutely not old.”

Source: NBC New York