The Electronic Frontier Foundation has launched a renewed campaign calling on Apple, Google and Meta to expand default end-to-end encryption across their products, arguing that private communication should be a baseline feature rather than an optional setting. The effort comes as digital surveillance concerns grow and more everyday conversations, from banking to family chats, move online.
The EFF’s position is straightforward. Encryption that users must actively switch on fails to protect those who need it most. Many people never change default settings, either through lack of awareness or fear of breaking something that works. Making end-to-end encryption standard mirrors familiar design choices in other industries, where safety features become invisible because they are built in, not bolted on.
The campaign places pressure on the world’s largest technology platforms, each of which balances privacy against regulatory demands and commercial priorities. Apple has promoted privacy as a core value, while Google and Meta operate vast advertising-driven ecosystems that depend on data. Stronger encryption limits what companies can see, analyse and monetise, reshaping how these businesses operate at scale.
The wider implications extend beyond consumer tech. Governments continue to argue that encryption hampers law enforcement, while privacy advocates warn that weakening it creates vulnerabilities everyone must live with. The EFF’s push reframes the debate by asking a simpler question: if secure communication is essential for modern life, should it ever be optional?
Author: Victor Olowomeye