In recent years online privacy has become a major talking point among the Internet-using public.
So much so, the likes of Whatsapp and Apple have gone to great lengths to ensure end-to-end encryption protects its users from being snooped on.
Given Google's new messenger app Allo has also got end-to-end encryption, it was only a matter of time before Facebook followed suit.
And that's exactly what has happened.
Facebook will soon add a new feature called 'secret conversations' to its messenger app meaning third-parties cannot see what is being said - only the sender and receiver can see the conversation.
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Credit: PA
Facebook themselves and law enforcement will have no access whatsoever to the secret conversations.
The new feature will be rolled out to a small number of users before making it available to everybody later this summer.
Where the Facebook feature differs from Whatsapp (owned by Facebook, of course) is the fact the encryption feature is opt-in rather than a default.
Secret conversations will also only work on one device and won't work for GIFs and videos, for the time being.
You can also set a 'self-destruct' time on certain messages if you so choose.
With 900 million active users every month, Facebook Messenger's massive step towards user privacy is a kick in the teeth for governments who want access to private messages.
Something tells me there'll be a controversy of sorts around this in the near future.
Words by George Pavlou
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