Who owns the Signal app and is it safe?: A closer look at the privacy-focused messaging app (2024)

Messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram have made it easier to connect with our friends, family and even businesses. Imagine how difficult it would have been to get through the lockdowns in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic without these apps.

As good as these messaging apps are, they have a catch.

This is certainly the case with Meta's products such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp. They collect a lot of data so advertisers can pay them to show you customized ads. This practice continues even though Meta has received numerous fines worldwide, including onefine for data misuse in January 2023.

That's why WhatsApp faced a huge backlash from users in January 2021 when it announced updates to its terms of service and privacy policy. Users were particularly concerned about the data the app would collect and share with parent company Meta (then Facebook).Many looked for alternative messaging apps that don't sell or share their dataAs a result, which helped push Signal into the mainstream.

Notice expressions of support from people like NSA whistleblower Edward SnowdenTesla/SpaceX/Twitter CEO Elon Musk and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey brought new users to the app in droves.

Recommendations from Elon Musk and others boosted Signal's user base in January 2021.

Between January 7 and 10, 2021, the app was downloaded 7.5 million times on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. This was a big jump for an app with only 500,000 users in 2019.

What is signal and who are the people behind it?

Signal is an app that lets you send messages and make voice and video calls, just like most other messaging services. The main difference lies inSignal's absolute commitment to privacy and security.This isn't surprising when you take a closer look at the people behind it.

Let's start with thatcreator and former CEO Moxie Marlinspike.He and Trevor Perrin developed the basis of what would eventually become the Signal Protocol. It is a form of end-to-end encryption (E2EE) that platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Skype have now adopted. Marlinspike, a privacy advocate, once blogged about how we should all have something to hide in response to increasing government surveillance in the United States.

If everyone's actions are monitored, and everyone technically breaks some obscure law at some point, the punishment becomes purely selective. Those in power essentially want whatever they need to punish whoever they want, whenever they want, as if there were no rules at all.

Moxie Marlinspike

In the meantimeSignal's interim CEO is WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton.He left WhatsApp in 2017 after a disagreement with parent company Facebook over how to monetize the app. He and his co-founder Jan Koum wanted to keep the app ad-free, which conflicted with Facebook's business of selling ads. As soon as he left, he formed the Signal Foundation with Marlinspike and gave it an interest-free loan of $105,000,400.

The Signal Foundation depends on donationsto keep the service running, unlike apps like Facebook Messenger that collect user data to sell ads. Signal President Meredith Whittaker described it best in an October 18, 2022 interview withEdges:

The Signal Foundation is a non-profit organization... [and] exists solely to support the messaging app... That means we have no shareholders and no equity, so we are not structurally incentivized to prioritize profit and growth for our core mission.

Meredith Whittaker

How secure is the signal really?

In addition to having staunch privacy advocates at the helm, Signal combines features that make it one of the most secure messaging apps around. Its world-class encryption algorithms and commitment to virtually no data collection keep spies and other third parties at bay. Journalists and activist groups even recommend its use over other messaging apps.

Features that make Signal secure include:

• • • • • Signal protocol.Thanks to the app's end-to-end encryption, only the sender and intended recipient can read a message. This makes it virtually impossible for third parties – even Signal – to eavesdrop on conversations.
          

          Signal also uses a so-called Double Ratchet algorithm to encrypt messages. This generates a new key for each message, preventing a hacker from reading entire conversations. Even if they intercept and decode one message.

        • Open source.Signal's iOS, Android, and Desktop source codes are open source. This allows anyone to examine the code to verify that it works as advertised and to identify potential security issues. It also makes it easy to verify whether the app is really as private and secure as the Signal Foundation says.
        • No data collection.Like other messaging apps, Signal receives requests from governments and law enforcement agencies to provide user data. Since it doesn't store data like contacts, call log and location, it responds consistentlyit cannot provide any information other than timestamps of when an account was created and when it was last online. You can read Signal's response in detail on the 'Government Requests' page of its website.

A nonprofit called Property of the People confirmed Signal's claims when they got itan infographicshows what data the FBI has access to from various messaging apps. In contrast, Apple's iMessage shares a wide range of data, such as contact lists, user information and IP addresses, contrary to CEO Tim Cook's claims.Apple wants to be a pioneer in the field of privacy.

Naturally, Signal's rock-solid security ends when an attacker gains physical access to your device. That's why it's important tolock your device and the app with a PIN code.It's also smart toenable disappearing messages, which automatically deletes read messages after a certain period of time, leaving no trace.

The most common criticism of Signal's security sufficesfor this you need to register with a mobile number.This may reveal your identity, but the requirement can change quickly. Whittaker said in December 2022Time magazineinterview The company hopes to offer users the option to create a username by mid-2023.

Signal different vs. Other messaging apps

We've already shown how Signal keeps your conversations private and secure, but how does it compare to popular and privacy-focused messaging apps? Check out the table below for more information.

Create a signal account

Would you like to try Signal? It takes less than five minutes to create an account.All you need is a mobile number and an Android or iOS device.Follow these steps to get started:

1. Download and install the latest version of Signal from the Google Play Store or App Store.

2. Choose whether you want to give the app access to your contacts. You'll need it to see which of your contacts are already on Signal.

3. Enter your mobile phone number and confirm it is correct.

4. Enter the SMS verification code or request a verification call.

5. Enter your profile name. This can be a pseudonym or nickname. You can also add a profile photo (optional).

6. Create an alphanumeric PIN of at least four characters. Don't forget this because you'll need it to reinstall Signal or change mobile numbers in the future.

7. That's it, you're done! You can now also install the desktop app on your Windows, macOS and Linux device after creating your account.

Is Signal something for you?

If you're looking for a messaging app that values ​​your privacy and security,Signal certainly meets the right requirements. It is open source, does not collect user data and comes with a robust encryption protocol that even other messaging apps use.

Of course, Signal still has thatpotential safety risks. Firstly, it currently requires you to use a mobile number to create an account. This means that you give that number to others if you want them to become a signaling contact. However, this can quickly change with the introduction of usernames.

You could also put your conversations at risk if a hacker physically gets hold of your device. To minimize your risk, lock your device and the Signal app with a PIN and enable disappearing messages.

Finally, if you wantmask your IP addresswhen forwarding your calls through Signal's servers, we recommend that you do thisbruge CyberGhost VPNto prevent others from seeing your actual IP address.

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