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Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

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Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#61

Post by canjobear »

kick wrote: post #56
canjobear wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Signal absolutely could do better in minimizing metadata by simply not requiring a phone number. Despite this obvious, huge, and dangerous shortcoming, I have never seen a single explanation of why Signal needs a phone number for signup.

They give an explanation literally every single time this subject is brought up, but of course on the Internet there's someone who against all possible odds manages to completely ignore years and years of the reasoning being linked to or given by a person at Signal in every single possible thread on Signal possible anywhere on the Internet, but what can you do?

I've asked many times and searched many times and never found a convincing answer. What's the reason?

Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#62

Post by ShamelessC »

zaroth wrote: post #7

Just an anecdote, I live close to the town I grew up in, which happens to have a large high-end mall. Over the weekend there have been large peaceful protests (“protest” perhaps isn’t even the right word, more like a show of solidarity) in the town common, a 2-acre square at the center of town. Police apparently got a tip on Monday night that a separate group was planning on looting the mall. They intercepted a convo…

Can you please cite a source for these claims?

Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#63

Post by plerpin »

atoav wrote: post #50
enraged_camel wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would ditch WhatsApp in a heartbeat if Signal had a browser client.

In my opinion Desktop Clients > Browser Clients when it comes to messengers. If you have more than ten tabs open it is annoying to always have to switch tabs or break out a window. Having a desktop application that remembers where you want to save stuff people send you is a plus too.

If you really like having app-like websites, you can do that in Chrome by clicking "Create Shortcut" then click the box that says "Open In Window". Voila. It behaves like a native app, and you can embed it in your Windows taskbar with a favicon and everything.

Electron isn't as safe as Chromium. Last I checked it's based off a vintage build of Chromium with some very important features like the sandbox turned off (!)

Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#64

Post by 0xADEADBEE »

drannex wrote: post #59
0xADEADBEE wrote: post #51

Long-time Signal user but I'm on the verge of moving I think. There are several UX shortcomings but the new PIN nag is a bridge too far. What are my options for alternatives? I imagine Telegram is the next best bet but very open to suggestions.

Settings -> privacy -> Pin Reminders You can disable them there.

I tried that but that just makes you set a PIN which I don't want to do! I appreciate the help though, thank you.

Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#65

Post by 0xADEADBEE »

stevehawk wrote: post #55
0xADEADBEE wrote: post #51

Long-time Signal user but I'm on the verge of moving I think. There are several UX shortcomings but the new PIN nag is a bridge too far. What are my options for alternatives? I imagine Telegram is the next best bet but very open to suggestions.

oof the pin nag is brutal, i hear that. as someone who doesn't back up or transfer their message is completely unnecessary to me to even have it.

Same. How hard is it to make it optional?

Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#66

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

sfifs wrote: post #30
RL_Quine wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

iMessage is end to end encrypted by default. Perhaps not as strongly, but it's a good default to begin with.

Whenever key management is centralized, there is basically no security from the legal authority in the jurisdiction that the messaging vendor is located in. The vendor can always push you an MITM key. They can even show you the "correct" recipient key when you physically verify but use a different one for the actual message transfer and this would be a trivial easy to obfuscate switch in the program binary. E2E with…

The Signal Foundation is based in Mountain View and both Moxie Marlinspike and Brian Acton are US nationals...

What’s stopping some US government agency from forcing them to insert code that causes the Signal app to a indicate it is behaving correctly but isn’t?

And don’t say “laws”.

If your threat model includes advanced persistent threats all bets are off.

Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#67

Post by zaroth »

ShamelessC wrote: post #62
zaroth wrote: post #7

Just an anecdote, I live close to the town I grew up in, which happens to have a large high-end mall. Over the weekend there have been large peaceful protests (“protest” perhaps isn’t even the right word, more like a show of solidarity) in the town common, a 2-acre square at the center of town. Police apparently got a tip on Monday night that a separate group was planning on looting the mall. They intercepted a convo…

Can you please cite a source for these claims?

Family members of mine were at the town center to show support for BLM. The town police spokesperson was interviewed on the local news and there is video of the police response at the mall.

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/06/01/police-respond-to-nat...

Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#68

Post by sudofail »

AtHeartEngineer wrote: post #31
matheusmoreira wrote: post #2

I hope one day apps like Signal will be the default for everyone , not just protesters in a time of crisis.

It's my default and over a few years I've pretty much converted everyone in my life except my mom

Same for me as well. All my friends and family have been on it for a few years now

Re: Signal app downloads spike as US protesters seek message encryption

#69

Post by Mediterraneo10 »

canjobear wrote: post #61
kick wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They give an explanation literally every single time this subject is brought up, but of course on the Internet there's someone who against all possible odds manages to completely ignore years and years of the reasoning being linked to or given by a person at Signal in every single possible thread on Signal possible anywhere on the Internet, but what can you do?

I've asked many times and searched many times and never found a convincing answer. What's the reason?

The typical answer is that a secure app is useless if no one actually uses it, and the use of phone numbers is an unfortunate tradeoff that had to be made to allow the general public to easily sign up for Signal and find their friends automatically from their phone's contacts.

Often this answer is accompanied by pure sarcasm where if you are concerned about this feature, you are told that Signal is not for you and "you can go play at being a spy and sharing a secret decoder ring with your friends", as these people regard PGP to be. I wish those Signal advocates could lay off the sarcasm, it just makes the project look bad.

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