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Ephemeral usernames instead of phone numbers safeguard privacy — and makes the Signal messenger app even harder to subpoena.
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Ephemeral usernames instead of phone numbers safeguard privacy — and makes the Signal messenger app even harder to subpoena.
SimpleX > Signal
Great article -- learned a lot. I didn't learn what Signal's business model is, though. How do they make money?
Privacy is Priceless, but Signal is ExpensivePrivacy is Priceless, but Signal is Expensive
https://www.signal.org/blog/signal-is-expensive/
Funding details via WikipediaFunding details via Wikipedia
https://wikiless.privacyredirect.com/wiki/Signal_Technology_Foundation?lang=en
https://m.stacker.news/18820
Great PR for Signal. Their service still needs phone numbers, and that’s the most important part of this.
So what’s the point? Why not just remove this silly requirement?
Oh it’s too hard, we dislike spam, so let’s not even attempt to solve the actual problem.
Seems to me they still haven’t addressed the root issue of their service. Great PR and somewhat better than mainstream alternatives, but still not seeing anything groundbreaking here. Still the signal of old.
Think of the "phone number requirement" as "Proof of work". If you frame it that way it kinda makes sense. It takes time and effort (or cost) to obtain a phone number.
Obviously we at SN know what would make the better POW to fight off the spam, but the normie world is still not there.
Its all about tradeoffs to me. Spam is a real problem on every messaging service. Even those that require numbers. I get zero spam on Signal. I get quite a bit on Telegram and I got a TON on Skype back in the day. For the women in my life spam is even worse. I don't think it helps to belittle spam as an actual problem. Spam has really degraded the effectiveness of email for example.
I don't think we should be fan boys and girls for Signal, they have their faults but lets also recognize they have built a very good messaging app that is used by a great number of people around the world that don't have other good options(I know alternatives exist but none are as familiar as Signal). I have tried to move people on to Signal or other alternatives. Its not easy to do. I have had the most success with Signal by far.
They also have a target on their back. Lets not let perfect be the enemy of good. I'm very glad they have added this feature and I hope they will adopt bitcoin as an anti spam measure in the future. Seems like a good option but I don't think its a practical option for them yet. Not from their perspective at least.
lies, they still require (and know) your phone number
Correct. It is still required to register with a phone number. You can however use a VoIP number and there are ways to acquire that without KYC. So, if you do it with this approach @Bitman's point is valid.
I love Signal, I wish they were more Bitcoin friendly— but they enabled me to delete and uninstall WhatsApp which means they are in my good books.
I have some (paranoid) friends that only use Signal but it's funny to me that every couple months they have new security keys due to presumably reinstalling the app. How am I supposed to trust your identity bro - I thought you were the paranoid one...
I'm pretty excited about this, I had previously avoided them and used Session instead. But Signal seems a little easier for your average person to understand and use, so I may be able to get more people to try it.
When they don't require a phone number, then and only then it's big news, in my opinion.
When signal adopts npubs and sats-based signup to limit spam, then we will be in the future we deserve.
Ready for this feature to be available.
Clearly not the NSA😂