Meta, a tech giant, is launching end-to-end encryption of chats and calls on Messenger and Facebook as part of a defense against lawsuits accusing it of misleading users about safety and being a breeding ground for predators targeting children. The encryption will be on by default and allow users to edit or have messages disappear 24 hours after being sent. The option to encrypt messages has existed since 2016, but users had to turn it on. Meta has defended against accusations of putting profit ahead of user safety by using sophisticated technology, employing child safety experts, reporting content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and sharing information with other companies and law enforcement agencies.