EFF targets Apple, Meta and Google in new push for end-to-end encryption by default

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has launched a new public campaign calling on some of the world’s biggest technology companies to accelerate the adoption of end-to-end encryption and make stronger privacy protections the default across their platforms.

Branded “Encrypt It Already,” the campaign argues that major tech firms are dragging their feet on privacy measures that are both technically achievable and increasingly essential as digital surveillance risks grow. The EFF, as per a report by Moneycontrol says, end-to-end encryption remains the most effective safeguard for private communications, ensuring that messages cannot be accessed by platforms, governments, or malicious actors.

According to the organisation, encryption should be treated as a baseline feature rather than a limited or optional add-on. The campaign urges companies to stop confining strong privacy protections to select products or advanced settings that most users never enable.

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The EFF’s campaign website directly names Apple, Meta, Google, Bluesky, Telegram and Ring, calling on them to either introduce end-to-end encryption where it does not exist or extend it more broadly across their services. It also presses companies to enable privacy-first settings by default, instead of hiding them deep within configuration menus.

Apple features prominently in the campaign, with the EFF highlighting two specific areas of concern. The first is encrypted Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging. The group is pushing Apple to follow through on its public commitment to interoperable end-to-end encryption for RCS, which would allow encrypted messaging between iPhone and Android users, rather than limiting strong encryption to iMessage alone.

The second demand focuses on artificial intelligence. The EFF wants Apple to introduce an AI permissions framework that allows users to restrict how AI features interact with secure communications on an app-by-app basis. The concern reflects growing unease that AI agents with deep system-level access could undermine the privacy guarantees of encrypted messaging platforms.

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That anxiety has been echoed by Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, who has warned that AI agents could pose serious security risks if allowed to interface directly with encrypted apps. Her comments have intensified calls for clearer boundaries between AI functionality and private user data.

Apple may already be taking tentative steps toward encrypted RCS support. In recent weeks, iOS 26.3 beta 2 introduced new carrier bundle settings related to end-to-end encryption for RCS messages within the Messages app. While Apple has not announced a formal rollout timeline, the changes suggest underlying preparation.

Momentum around encrypted RCS has been building since last year, when the GSM Association finalised an industry standard for end-to-end encryption in RCS messaging. Both Apple and Google subsequently confirmed plans to support the standard, though progress has been gradual.

The EFF says its campaign reflects a broader shift in expectations around digital privacy. As AI integration deepens and cross-platform communication becomes more common, the gap between corporate privacy commitments and real-world implementation is drawing increased scrutiny. Whether “Encrypt It Already” succeeds in accelerating action remains uncertain, but it adds fresh pressure to an issue that tech companies can no longer sidestep.