TikTok has confirmed it will not implement end-to-end encryption for direct messages on its platform, breaking from the approach taken by other major social media companies.

The video-sharing platform told the BBC that it would not join rival services such as WhatsApp and Messenger in adopting the privacy technology. End-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and recipient can read messages, preventing even the platform operator from accessing the content.

TikTok stated that implementing end-to-end encryption would make users less safe, though the company did not elaborate on the specific safety concerns that informed this decision.

The stance puts TikTok at odds with the broader industry trend toward enhanced message privacy. WhatsApp has offered end-to-end encryption by default since 2016, while Meta's Messenger began rolling out the feature more widely in recent years.

TikTok's direct messaging feature allows users to send private messages to other users on the platform. The company's decision means these conversations will remain accessible to TikTok under certain circumstances, such as content moderation or legal requests.