Because privacy
There are many messaging apps out there. Whatsapp is extremely popular around the world. Telegram has made inroads. Facebook Messenger is extremely popular since it’s “just there” for all those Facebook users. SMS/RCS text messaging remains popular.
There are dozens of others as well.
While I’m not uninstalling any of them, I’m definitely switching my preference to Signal. I want to explain why and encourage you to evaluate your situation and consider it as well.
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Privacy and Signal
Signal is my new messaging preference for its privacy, end-to-end encryption, and zero data storage. Unlike others, it safeguards your communication from any interception or misuse. As privacy concerns grow globally, Signal is a great, free alternative worth considering for anyone valuing secure and private conversations.
Throughout this article, I’ll be quoting this blog written by a federal employee and posted by Matthew Haughey: A guide to using Signal for government workers.
It’s all about absolute privacy
Signal messages are always end-to-end encrypted between your device and the recipient’s device
Note the “always”. The only people able to see your communications are yourself and the person(s) you’re communicating with. There’s no one to intercept, record, or report your messages.
The only information Signal has is when a user signed up and when they last used Signal; they have no information about who you chat with or call, your contacts, or even your profile ID.
This means that even if asked or demanded, Signal has nothing to offer. With zero data storage, they simply don’t have the information.
They publish every single subpoena they receive as well as their response.
For some reason, this tickles me. You can’t provide information you don’t have.
Signal is a free app that lets you securely communicate with anyone, run by a trusted non-profit that has had an excellent track record since 2018.
It’s the communication app of choice for embedded journalists, whistleblowers, and just about anyone who’s concerned about malicious surveillance.
Signal features
Signal has the features most people care about.
- Text messages.
- Voice calls.
- Voice messages. (Sending a recording rather than holding an interactive call.)
- Video calls.
- Group chat and calls.
- Attachments.
- Disappearing messages.
It’s basically everything you could want out of a messaging app.
The only limitation I’ve discovered so far is that Signal assumes you have an SMS-capable telephone in order to set up initially. I’ve found some workarounds, but they all have side effects, some of which potentially affect the privacy we’re after.
Why I’m switching
To once again quote the essay:
Once you switch to Signal, it really is no different than other text apps. But it comes with the added safety and security of knowing everything you’ve said can’t be intercepted along the way and no one at Signal stores your messages anywhere. I’ll likely move to Signal for texting with most people eventually, since I don’t know if I can trust Apple or Google or any other company to protect my personal data in the years ahead.
(Bolding mine.)
Besides Apple, Google, and Microsoft, I’d add any of the popular messaging carriers to this concern. Facebook (Messenger & WhatsApp) has an abysmal record in so many ways. Telegram, while laudable, apparently keeps more information and has provided it in response to legal subpoenas. And the telephone companies behind SMS and RCS are almost always at the whim of the authorities.
What about “You’re just not that interesting”?
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ll know that one of my common responses to people who seem overly concerned about privacy and surveillance is that you and I just aren’t that interesting. Microsoft, Google, or any other cloud provider doesn’t care what’s in your documents. Hackers care about your credit card number, not your private messages. We’re simply not that important in the grand scheme of things.
I still believe that. And yet.
I have always included an exception: “…unless you’re living in a repressive or authoritarian regime”.
Without getting deeply into political and social topics, I’ll just say that portions of the world we used to consider “safe” seem to be on the brink of what could be a very concerning change. While I don’t believe there’s an issue today, it’s a future possibility. As a result, I want to prepare and shift my communications with others into more secure, private forms.
Do this
Consider your situation. Decide whether the privacy afforded by tools like Signal is or could become important. Consider also the “cost” of switching, since all your contacts would need to switch as well.
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Podcast audio
Related Video
Footnotes & References
- A guide to using Signal for government workers – Matthew Haughey – A Whole Lotta Nothing blog.
- How to: Use Signal – from EFF.org’s “Surveillance Self-Defense”
If I install Signal, but everyone who communicates with me are using messenger or other apps, can we exchange messages between the different messaging apps? Or can I only use Signal to communicate with others who also use Signal? And how can I know who uses signal?
No. Just like you can only talk to WhatsApp users on WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger users on Facebook Messenger, you talk to only Signal users on Signal. Anything else would break the very privacy we want out of it.
And you ask people what they use, or if they contact you to connect some way, you suggest signal. (Signal will allow you to import your address book on your mobile device.)
You can know who uses signal because Signal accesses the contacts on your phone and adds all the numbers of Signal users to its contacts list.
re: Signal privacy
Could Windows 11 “Recall” feature, just screen shot, all of your Signal communications? I’m just checking for loopholes within loopholes.
THE RECALL FEATURE IS TURNED OFF BY DEFAULT and it’s not available on most computers yet. (I’m frustrated by the panic over this feature. Sorry.) Should I Be Concerned About Microsoft’s Recall Feature?
And, yes, anything that can be seen can be copied. This is in no way limited to Recall. Malware of any sort, a screen recorder, a keystroke logger … all of those things and likely more could render a device compromised. If you can’t trust a device, then don’t use that device for anything sensitive. Put another way, keep your device(s) secure. Always. And that applies to way more things than private conversations over signal.
Advantages of secure email from Proton, Tuta and others vs. Signal
1. Anonymity – your account is not tied to a phone number
2. The ability to have more than one account
3. Usable on a Chromebook in Guest mode which guarantees no traces left behind
4. No learning curve – its just webmail
5. No software to install
6. Website security is front and center. Mobile app security is a black box
If you are going to use Signal, look into the features in the latest iOS and Android that hide installed apps.
Would Signal protect against spyware already on your phone? The message might be end-to-end encrypted, but once it’s decrypted for you to read, can another app on the phone possibly see it?
No. Malware can do anything on your device. See Leo’s answer to Scott above.
How does Signal make money? Is it funded entirely by donations?