Registration without a phone number on Signal will use zero-knowledge proofs • Hacker News Board

Re: Registration without a phone number on Signal will use zero-knowledge proofs

#221

Post by 2Gkashmiri » Tue, Sep 15, 2026, 11:44 AM UTC

wolvoleo wrote: post #51

2Gkashmiri wrote: post #48

I know for a fact If you use "signal" matrix or whatever "security" app, you will get branded a terrorist in India, your life will be upended and you will face a long list of problems. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ats-probes-use-of-... https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/accused-da... https://www.deccanherald.com/india/secure-messaging-apps-lik... https://india-employmentnews.com/tech-categ…

Yes that's bad but that's an Indian government problem, not a signal or other messenger app problem. And really, it sounds like there was a lot more going on with these people than just using a particular app. Discord and WhatsApp are mentioned too. India also bans most satellite phones by the way. I have one so I looked into that as to not get caught out travelling.

its not really. chat control, age gate means you will have this elsewhere

Re: Registration without a phone number on Signal will use zero-knowledge proofs

#222

Post by mr_big_bowls » Tue, Sep 15, 2026, 12:49 PM UTC

Yeah, ditching the phone number sounds good.

But if the replacement is Google or payment info, then... did we really fix much?

Kinda feels like trading one ID for another.

Re: Registration without a phone number on Signal will use zero-knowledge proofs

#223

Post by eks391 » Tue, Sep 15, 2026, 2:00 PM UTC

HWR_14 wrote: post #61

wolvoleo wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ugh wtf so I need a Google account on Android? That's not going to happen. For an org that pretends to care about privacy you'd imagine there'd be a way to avoid, you know, the biggest privacy invader on the planet. Just allow monero payments or something. Alongside Google play for the sheep that want to use that.

Are you being hyperbolic, or do you really consider Google the worst with regards to privacy.

The idea that Google isn't the worst in respects to privacy is not an idea I've seen. Is there a company you propose as being worse? I think Meta is the next contender but they don't have nearly the same influence, so its still Google. Not for a lack of trying though. Mark would love to have the data and infrastructure dependence that Google holds over the internet.

Re: Registration without a phone number on Signal will use zero-knowledge proofs

#224

Post by user3939382 » Tue, Sep 15, 2026, 6:18 PM UTC

bawolff wrote: post #15

user3939382 wrote: post #13

I don't trust Signal. The device OSes and hardware are opaque, chatty, not private or trustworthy, the network backbone is completely owned by dragnet surveillance, Dual_EC_DRBG flavored shenanigans, so how could an app running on top of this suddenly be trustworthy? Especially one that's super high profile which signals inside a dragnet "someone is working especially hard to make this secret".

Viewing any security thing as a binary is the wrong way to look at it. Figure out your adversaries, how much power they have and what they are willing to spend. Make your decisions from there. I personally think signal is sufficient for the threats the average person is concerned about, but that is a decision each individual has to make for themselves.

It's binary because you decide to use it or not. If your threat model contemplates run of the mill adversaries you don't need Signal. If it contemplates nation states you don't want it.