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The section of the privacy label highlighted in these articles is about data that apps collect that is then linked to your identity (e.g. to an account). There
by daveoc64 6y ago
The section of the privacy label highlighted in these articles is about data that apps collect that is then linked to your identity (e.g. to an account).
There is a separate section of the label for listing data that is collected as part of the app's functionality, but then not linked to an account or other user identity - that is where Signal lists phone number.
WhatsApp and Apple Messages collect data and link it to your account(s) with them. Signal collects your phone number, but doesn't link it to anything.
- geocar 6y agoDoes that mean a signal user can't change phone numbers without getting a new identity? I haven't looked at Signal in a while.
- sswezey 6y agoIn Signal, a phone number is your identity. So intrinsically, yes, you have to get a new identity with a new number: https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007062012-New-Number-or-New-Phone https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007062012-Ne...
- geocar 6y agoSorry, maybe that's not clear; I have multiple phone numbers. Does that mean I have to unregister and reregister to get my other identity? Or does Signal support multiple identities?
- jolux 6y agoYou have to unregister and reregister the device to change phone numbers.
- mikece 6y agoAnd this is a real problem because you don't really own your phone number: it's leased to you for as long as you pay for it but I don't think there is anything to prevent a telco (or VoIP service like Twilio) from taking that number back from you. This is another problem inherent in using a phone number as the source of your identity on a service. Email addresses are better but can still be subject to seizure. Perhaps the answer is what Session is doing: you get a GUID is that is assigned to you and that will never be assigned to anyone else.
- vetinari 6y agoThreema generates a short alphanumeric id, that is easily sharable. It will also generate QR code for you, so other people do no have to type them, just scan them.
- samatman 6y agoNot the case, my Signal is linked to my old phone number, it is, in fact, the only piece of my identity web which is. I wonder, sometimes, what would happen when someone else acquires that phone number and tries to sign up for Signal...
- tpxl 6y agoThe case with Telegram is they overtake your account, and it might be the same with Signal.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]