Meta to discontinue cross-app communication chats on Instagram

Meta is set to discontinue the "cross-app communication chats" feature, allowing users to chat with Facebook friends on Instagram. The company has announced that, starting in mid-December 2023, this feature, introduced in 2020, will be disconnected.

On its support page, Meta informed users, "Beginning in mid-December 2023, you will no longer be able to chat with Facebook accounts on Instagram." While the company did not explicitly state the reason behind this decision, speculations from sources like 9to5Google suggest that it could be a strategic move to avoid potential regulatory issues in the European Union (EU).

Following the removal of the cross-app communication feature, users will be unable to initiate new conversations or calls with Facebook accounts from Instagram. Existing chats on Instagram involving Facebook accounts will become read-only, even if those Facebook accounts are removed from the chat. This means that users, along with others having Instagram accounts, won't be able to send new messages in these chats.

Additionally, Facebook accounts will lose the ability to view the Activity Status or determine whether a message has been seen. Any pre-existing chats with Facebook accounts will not be transferred to the user's inbox on Facebook or Messenger.

Meanwhile, Meta has introduced updates across various products on Facebook and Instagram to assist creators in monetizing their content. The company is currently testing an invite-only holiday bonus on Instagram for creators in the United States, South Korea, and Japan. Creators stand to earn based on the number of reels plays and photo views they accumulate during the bonus period, provided their content adheres to Content Monetization Policies.

(With input from IANS)