Facebook may release an encrypted version of its Messenger app to block authorities and Facebook itself from reading user’s messages, The Guardian reported.

The feature would be opt-in, as it is likely to interfere with the chat bots and machine learning features being built into Messenger, an app used by 900 million people every month.

Such features require user data to be routed through servers to be analysed, which would not be possible with encryption.

Users will need to decide if they want such personalised features with the privacy trade-off, or value security more.

The report added that engineers at both Facebook and Google, as well as other firms, predict that consumers would rather have a smarter messaging app than a more secure one.

There is no confirmation on Facebook’s plans, with a spokesman telling The Guardian: “We don’t comment on rumour or speculation”.

The news comes not long after Facebook-owned WhatsApp introduced end-to-end encryption for all data, in a bid to bolster user privacy.