“Think Before You Share”: J&K Police Issues Important Instagram Privacy Advisory
Srinagar, May 10: The Jammu and Kashmir Police has issued an important advisory for Instagram users, urging people to stay cautious while sharing personal or sensitive information through Direct Messages (DMs) after changes in Instagram’s privacy system.
In a social media post, J&K Police warned that Instagram DMs may no longer remain as private as many users believe. The advisory comes after reports that Meta has discontinued End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) support for Instagram direct messages from May 8, 2026.
Police officials said users should avoid treating Instagram chats as fully secure and must think carefully before sharing confidential information online.
According to the advisory, the changes have been introduced by Meta to improve online safety monitoring and help identify harmful or illegal activities on the platform. However, the police stressed that users must also take responsibility for protecting their own digital privacy.
J&K Police specifically advised people not to share passwords, OTPs, banking details, personal documents, or sensitive photographs through Instagram DMs. Users were encouraged to use more secure and encrypted platforms for confidential conversations.
The advisory also asked users to maintain backups of important chats and media, reminding the public that deleted online content may still remain recoverable in some cases.
Officials said the awareness message is part of the police department’s ongoing cyber awareness campaign being carried out across the Union Territory under the broader public outreach initiatives.
The police urged citizens, especially young social media users, to remain alert and follow safe digital practices while using online platforms.
