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Battle of the secure messaging apps: how Signal beats WhatsApp
- CapitalistCartr 10y agoI've got both on my phone. None of my contacts use Signal. Not one. Most use Whatsapp. The network effect has to trump all. The security that gets used beats that which doesn't.
- eganist 10y agoSo I asked this question from Bruce Schneier last DEF CON, and his point was exactly the same, effectively that using secure messaging apps that hardly anyone uses stands out, whereas using ubiquitous secure messaging apps helps you blend in and makes security more effective. If Signal wants to win, it needs to make a compelling case to lay users for usage over apps like whatsapp and imessage. It hasn't yet. It made the technical case for us, but it hasn't made the "what's in it for me?" case for lay users.
- vidyesh 10y agoUnfortunately this is true only a handful few use Signal and they prefer WhatsApp. I don't use WhatsApp, makes my life difficult at times. I like Signal for the fact that it can instead send SMS for non-Signal recipients.
- chopin 10y agoI don't find the meta data arguments for preferring Signal convincing. All we have is the assurance to not store meta data, but this is not easily verifiable and may change any time unbeknownst to users. This is a bit better as we know that WhatsApp does store meta data. However in the era of NSL's and gag orders that doesn't mean much. Having the implementation open source is a win, though.