Live data from Hacker News

Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

schneier.com

111–120 of 263 posts

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#111
post #75
post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When did it not have encryption?

Forever.

I mean, I think has at least had strong end-to-end encryption since I first heard about it three years ago. What is new as of maybe six months ago is that it is finally open source, but it was always highly secure.

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#112
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I meant was that Signal can solicit payments as part of their mission. Either through donations, or by selling access to more features. There's no need to involve financing through the use of the product itself, any proceeds of which will not go to Signal anyway.

Signal doesn't sell paid features, Signal is adding a payment platform . So future apps and/or users can exchange money/crypto.

Yes, and I would argue, with Schneier, that that's a bad idea, for all manner of reasons, not least that it will widen the legal attack surface by a lot.

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#113
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is a strawman argument. Can't it be the users from group#3 who's sad to see Signal turn into WeChat? After all the lessons learned from Keybase are open for all to see. WhatsApp doesn't include payment mechanism in many markets, why is Signal trying to waste developer resources on unwanted features?

WhatsApp payments isn't available yet in all markets, but you can be sure it's coming.

> you can be sure it's coming.

It's standing on the shoulders of UPI in India. Do they also plan to bring India's UPI to rest of the world?

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#114

99% of the opposition to Signal integrating cryptocurrency payment seems to be from people who generally disagree with the idea of cryptocurrencies (the article has this position). These arguments of course are veiled as keeping the Signal app "pure" and focused on encrypted messaging. I've rarely seen people kick up this kind of fuss with other messaging features so it just reeks of being disingenuous. At least be h…

You can both think cryptocurrencies are a stupid idea and believe that introducing payments into Signal is a bad idea for other reasons. Your assumption that one belief is simply a fig-leaf for the other is not justified.

Based on my personal experience, people who are serious about cryptography from a public-policy perspective are likely to have both of those opinions.

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#115
post #35

I think there are 3 attitudes towards Signal: 1. Anger from purists who care about the fact it's not decentralised, and that Moxie runs the show, and that it uses phone numbers etc etc... 2. Indifference from those who have never heard of it 3. Joy from those who are extremely happy a decent, private, alternative to Facebook/Whatsapp exists My worry is that group 1) try and ruin it for the rest of us. Signal is liter…

I have another attitude, which is suspicion that it is a honey trap. If the FBI can read messages (https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/02/08/can-t...), it would seem like the perfect setup for them.

Why does everyone have so much faith in Signal? What if that faith is being misplaced?

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#116

99% of the opposition to Signal integrating cryptocurrency payment seems to be from people who generally disagree with the idea of cryptocurrencies (the article has this position). These arguments of course are veiled as keeping the Signal app "pure" and focused on encrypted messaging. I've rarely seen people kick up this kind of fuss with other messaging features so it just reeks of being disingenuous. At least be h…

You can both think cryptocurrencies are a stupid idea and believe that introducing payments into Signal is a bad idea for other reasons. Your assumption that one belief is simply a fig-leaf for the other is not justified. Based on my personal experience, people who are serious about cryptography from a public-policy perspective are likely to have both of those opinions.

My point is completely justified when you read the article attached (and much of the comments here).

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#117
post #35

I think there are 3 attitudes towards Signal: 1. Anger from purists who care about the fact it's not decentralised, and that Moxie runs the show, and that it uses phone numbers etc etc... 2. Indifference from those who have never heard of it 3. Joy from those who are extremely happy a decent, private, alternative to Facebook/Whatsapp exists My worry is that group 1) try and ruin it for the rest of us. Signal is liter…

> there are 3 attitudes towards Signal

I am in group 4. I didn’t care that Moxie calls the shots and requires a phone number. And I was thrilled to have a secure communication app, from when Signal was TextSecure. I hate this to the point that I’m dropping Signal.

The only reason to choose MobileCoin is Moxie’s personal affiliation to it. Meanwhile, this integration massively increases Signal’s regulatory cross section.

Most Americans strongly support free speech. That support doesn’t exist for dark money transactions. If the CFTC or New York DFS wanted to open a money laundering investigation into Signal, using the full AML/ATF toolkit in the process, there isn’t a great argument anymore for why they can’t or shouldn’t. Same for the Secret Service or FBI. Moxie just sold out Signal’s First Amendment credentials.

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#118
post #35

I think there are 3 attitudes towards Signal: 1. Anger from purists who care about the fact it's not decentralised, and that Moxie runs the show, and that it uses phone numbers etc etc... 2. Indifference from those who have never heard of it 3. Joy from those who are extremely happy a decent, private, alternative to Facebook/Whatsapp exists My worry is that group 1) try and ruin it for the rest of us. Signal is liter…

>But Signal needs to keep core feature parity to remain competitive with WhatsApp, Telegram etc. And that includes a payment mechanism.

A payment mechanism just isn't a core chat application feature.

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#119

99% of the opposition to Signal integrating cryptocurrency payment seems to be from people who generally disagree with the idea of cryptocurrencies (the article has this position). These arguments of course are veiled as keeping the Signal app "pure" and focused on encrypted messaging. I've rarely seen people kick up this kind of fuss with other messaging features so it just reeks of being disingenuous. At least be h…

It's not just opposition to cryptocurrencies per se, the choice of Mobilecoin is also problematic[0]. On top of that you have to trust Intel.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26715348

Re: Signal Adds Cryptocurrency Support

#120
post #35

I think there are 3 attitudes towards Signal: 1. Anger from purists who care about the fact it's not decentralised, and that Moxie runs the show, and that it uses phone numbers etc etc... 2. Indifference from those who have never heard of it 3. Joy from those who are extremely happy a decent, private, alternative to Facebook/Whatsapp exists My worry is that group 1) try and ruin it for the rest of us. Signal is liter…

I have another attitude, which is suspicion that it is a honey trap. If the FBI can read messages ( https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2021/02/08/can-t... ), it would seem like the perfect setup for them. Why does everyone have so much faith in Signal? What if that faith is being misplaced?

Come on. The article you linked just shows that if the FBI can unlock an iPhone, they can read Signal messages. This is not exactly a surprising revelation.
Post reply on HN