Facebook Messenger may have a big change on the way. If rumors are to be believed, the Messenger app will allow for covert messaging that will keep content hidden.
The first hints about the unconfirmed “secret conversations” feature were revealed by the code for Messenger, as reported by The Information. How this feature will be executed is unclear — it could be encrypted chats and it could be a simple option for users to hide select messages. Should it be the former, then it will bring Messenger up to par with WhatsApp, which offers its users secure text conversations.
Currently, Facebook messages are only encrypted when transmitted between a device and a company server. The risk always exists that Facebook will be forced to hand over any messages if asked by the law.
In addition to this feature, Facebook Messenger could allow users to make payments through the platform. According to the code, users will have three payment options: “pay in person”, “pay directly in Messenger when you pick up the item” and “no cash needed.”
This would suggest that Facebook Messenger would take on Google’s Android Pay and Apple Pay, despite CEO Mark Zuckerberg stating otherwise earlier this year. “We don’t view ourselves as a payments business, that’s not the type of company that we are,” said Zuckerberg on an earnings call. “We’ll partner with everyone who does payments.”
