The Rollback of Instagram Encryption, and What It Means for Survivor Safety

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The Rollback of Instagram Encryption, and What It Means for Survivor Safety

As of May 8, 2026, Instagram has removed the option for end-to-end encryption in direct messages. In practical terms, this means messages that were previously only accessible to the sender and recipient may now be accessible to the platform itself.

At first blush, this may feel like a subtle shift, but for survivors of domestic violence and tech-facilitated abuse, and for the advocates who support them, it meaningfully alters the landscape of digital safety on Instagram. This post focuses on how this shift may affect survivor communication, and how advocates can respond with clarity and care.

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Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month at Safety Net: A Month in Review

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Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month at Safety Net: A Month in Review

February always invites us to pause and reflect closely on young people and their relationships: the joy, vulnerability, and very real risks that can show up in both digital and in-person spaces. At the Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) is always a call to equip the trusted adults in young people’s lives with tools that are grounded, practical, and, of course, survivor-centered. But this year, amid a rapidly evolving technological landscape and emerging avenues for abuse, that work has felt all the more urgent.

Technology is not ancillary to teen relationships: it is the ecosystem. And so, throughout TDVAM, our focus was clear: to meet young people where they are, and to support the adults and advocates who show up for them.

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Google Safety Tool Updates Increase Options for Survivors

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Google Safety Tool Updates Increase Options for Survivors

Many victims and survivors of abuse have concerns about keeping their personal information safe online. Some abusers chose to misuse that information in order to stalk and harass survivors. This can make those concerns especially acute. This is one reason why it’s important for tech companies to consider survivors’ needs in designing trust and safety tools and policies.

On Safer Internet Day (February 10), Google announced updates to existing safety tools. These updates increase options for survivors and other people at risk who want to remove sensitive content from search results. The announcement provides detailed, easy-to-follow instructions on how to use the updated tools.

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