3 ms·

Yes! I expect any app or service to at least warn me first before they instigate unsolicited actions on my behalf. Signal has no doubt already legally covered

Yes! I expect any app or service to at least warn me first before they instigate unsolicited actions on my behalf. Signal has no doubt already legally covered their ass with regards to me giving this consent. However in reality I never would have allowed this if I was asked or even given a fraction of a hint as to what was about to happen once I gave them the requested permissions to be installed.

charrondev 5y ago
One of the things I quite enjoy about the legal system in Quebec is our strong consumer protection laws. Additionally it is not possible for a consumer to “wave” any rights provided in our consumer protection act. That along with numerous parts of the law defining exactly what can be a binding contract create a system (with ample case law and precedent to back it up) where most company’s terms and conditions are not valid contracts in Quebec. If someone here were able to show harm and have standing in a case they would likely be able to bring a solid case forward.
tialaramex 5y ago
They didn't take "unsolicited actions on [your] behalf" to drive this feature. The other person's phone looked at their address book and asked if it can reach you over Signal, which it can. It chooses to do this (it's a config option, on their phone). The "unsolicited action on your behalf" is that given access to your contacts your phone will provide your contacts with some information over Signal, such as a Signal name and profile picture you've set - if they ask for it, unless you've blocked them. So if you set your name in Signal to "Barry is God" as a joke, that might be awkward if your very religious parents get Signal, but then that's also probably true if the name outside your dorm says "Barry is God" or if that's what the name says next to your apartment buzzer or on Facebook... Likewise if the profile photo is of a marijuana leaf which was funny for two close friends on Signal but then your very straight boss gets Signal and they know your phone number... Signal doesn't want to be another niche app that you only use to send encryption nerd stuff to other nerds who also installed the nerd app. It wants to be for everybody for everything, because there is safety in numbers. If there are six encrypted messages sent in Iran, the secret police really could just track down, arrest and torture everybody who sent or received an encrypted message just in case. But if it's six million messages that's just not practical.
- egberts1 5y ago
  Mere fact that Apple Contact address book can leak your contact name that was extracted by Signal and ran checks against Signal for “in-Signal-network” flag or not It’s not just about the avatar but your name too. now being tied to your phone number.

charrondev 5y ago

One of the things I quite enjoy about the legal system in Quebec is our strong consumer protection laws. Additionally it is not possible for a consumer to “wave” any rights provided in our consumer protection act. That along with numerous parts of the law defining exactly what can be a binding contract create a system (with ample case law and precedent to back it up) where most company’s terms and conditions are not valid contracts in Quebec. If someone here were able to show harm and have standing in a case they would likely be able to bring a solid case forward.

tialaramex 5y ago

They didn't take "unsolicited actions on [your] behalf" to drive this feature. The other person's phone looked at their address book and asked if it can reach you over Signal, which it can. It chooses to do this (it's a config option, on their phone). The "unsolicited action on your behalf" is that given access to your contacts your phone will provide your contacts with some information over Signal, such as a Signal name and profile picture you've set - if they ask for it, unless you've blocked them. So if you set your name in Signal to "Barry is God" as a joke, that might be awkward if your very religious parents get Signal, but then that's also probably true if the name outside your dorm says "Barry is God" or if that's what the name says next to your apartment buzzer or on Facebook... Likewise if the profile photo is of a marijuana leaf which was funny for two close friends on Signal but then your very straight boss gets Signal and they know your phone number... Signal doesn't want to be another niche app that you only use to send encryption nerd stuff to other nerds who also installed the nerd app. It wants to be for everybody for everything, because there is safety in numbers. If there are six encrypted messages sent in Iran, the secret police really could just track down, arrest and torture everybody who sent or received an encrypted message just in case. But if it's six million messages that's just not practical.

egberts1 5y ago
Mere fact that Apple Contact address book can leak your contact name that was extracted by Signal and ran checks against Signal for “in-Signal-network” flag or not It’s not just about the avatar but your name too. now being tied to your phone number.