{
  "slug": "facebook-messenger",
  "category": "messengers",
  "name": "Facebook Messenger",
  "description": "Meta's messaging app for Facebook accounts, with chats, groups, voice and video calls. Personal chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default.",
  "website": "https://www.messenger.com",
  "license": null,
  "platforms": [
    "android",
    "ios",
    "web"
  ],
  "jurisdiction": {
    "code": "US",
    "name": "United States",
    "eyes": "Five Eyes",
    "eu": false,
    "gdpr": false,
    "cloud_act": "provider"
  },
  "pick": false,
  "pick_reason": null,
  "disclosure": null,
  "grade": "F",
  "score": 19,
  "coverage": 100,
  "summary": "Facebook Messenger scores 19 out of 100 (grade F) on the messengers criteria. It meets 1 of 8 criteria: no phone number needed. It partly meets end-to-end encrypted by default. It does not meet open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, independent audit, metadata protection and decentralized. It is based in the United States: Five Eyes member; subject to the US CLOUD Act.",
  "url": "https://privacyratings.com/messengers/facebook-messenger/",
  "markdown": "https://privacyratings.com/messengers/facebook-messenger/index.md",
  "answers": {
    "open_source": {
      "title": "Open source",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Closed source."
    },
    "no_trackers": {
      "title": "No trackers or telemetry",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": "https://reports.exodus-privacy.eu.org/en/reports/com.facebook.orca/latest/",
      "note": "Exodus finds Google Analytics, Mapbox and Facebook SDK components in the Android app."
    },
    "no_ads": {
      "title": "No ads or data sales",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Funded by advertising; Messenger shows ads and Meta uses account activity to personalize ads."
    },
    "independent_audit": {
      "title": "Independent audit",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "No independent audit is published."
    },
    "transparency_report": {
      "title": "Transparency report",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "user_notice": {
      "title": "Tells users about requests",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "tls": {
      "title": "TLS configuration",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "security_headers": {
      "title": "Security headers",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "web_standards": {
      "title": "Modern web standards",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "n/a",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Only applies to hosted services with a website to test."
    },
    "e2ee_default": {
      "title": "End-to-end encrypted by default",
      "weight": 3,
      "answer": "partial",
      "evidence": "https://about.fb.com/news/2023/12/default-end-to-end-encryption-on-messenger/",
      "note": "Personal chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default, but not every chat type is, such as chats with businesses and community chats."
    },
    "no_phone_number": {
      "title": "No phone number needed",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "yes",
      "evidence": "https://www.facebook.com/help/188157731232424",
      "note": "Messenger requires a Facebook account, which can be created with an email address instead of a phone number."
    },
    "metadata_protection": {
      "title": "Metadata protection",
      "weight": 2,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "Meta's servers see who talks to whom."
    },
    "decentralized": {
      "title": "Decentralized",
      "weight": 1,
      "answer": "no",
      "evidence": null,
      "note": "One central service run by Meta."
    }
  },
  "tests": {
    "ssllabs": null,
    "observatory": null,
    "internetnl_web": null,
    "internetnl_mail": null,
    "trackers": [],
    "tested_at": "2026-10-01T06:38:22.222Z"
  },
  "last_modified": "2026-10-01T06:56:31Z"
}