4 ms·

SMS was significant danger for an app that tries for the highest security. It was confusing that Signal was super secure unless you used SMS. It was actively da

SMS was significant danger for an app that tries for the highest security. It was confusing that Signal was super secure unless you used SMS. It was actively dangerous if people got confused and sent private information over SMS. That is something that leads to people "falling out a window". This is a problem for iMessage, but people don't have the same security expectations for that. The WhatsApp model, of everything going over the app and being secure, is better approach. I would argue that WhatsApp was more secure than Signal with SMS, the focus on security outweighed by danger of sending message in the clear.

GuB-42 2y ago
That's the opinion of the idealists at Signal. But Signal already made some compromises for convenience over privacy, such as the use of phone numbers and contact discovery. It can be a pretty insidious problem because it becomes possible to check if the owner of a phone number is a Signal user. Imagine you had an abusive relationship, you broke up, you blocked the other's number, and you go on with your life. You have each others in your contact lists, on your side, that's for blocking purposes. A few months later, you install Signal, the other did too, Signal then puts you in contact with the person you really don't want to get in contact with... Sure, Signal does it securely, but it doesn't solve the problem. It is possible to prevent it now by choosing the right options, but the problem is not obvious at all and you are very likely to fall for it if you are in this situation. The conflict between discovery and privacy is one that Signal acknowledges, but their default choice is not "maximum security", it is a compromise. SMS support is also a compromise, but I believe that it is actually a lesser compromise, because the UI makes it very obvious that your message won't be secure if you send a SMS. WhatsApp doesn't need to make the SMS compromise because they already have a well-established network, Signal doesn't have the luxury.
- fragmede 2y ago
  they implemented usernames so phone numbers are no longer required
  - GuB-42 2y ago
    Phone numbers are still required for registration, and the option to make it undiscoverable (so that someone who knows your phone number won't find you on Signal) is not the default, and I think you can't set it before you create your account, leaving a small window of opportunity for someone to discover your account. If Signal was uncompromising on privacy, being undiscoverable by phone number would be the default. In fact, they wouldn't ask for a phone number at all. These are reasonable compromises, but compromises nonetheless.

GuB-42 2y ago

That's the opinion of the idealists at Signal. But Signal already made some compromises for convenience over privacy, such as the use of phone numbers and contact discovery. It can be a pretty insidious problem because it becomes possible to check if the owner of a phone number is a Signal user. Imagine you had an abusive relationship, you broke up, you blocked the other's number, and you go on with your life. You have each others in your contact lists, on your side, that's for blocking purposes. A few months later, you install Signal, the other did too, Signal then puts you in contact with the person you really don't want to get in contact with... Sure, Signal does it securely, but it doesn't solve the problem. It is possible to prevent it now by choosing the right options, but the problem is not obvious at all and you are very likely to fall for it if you are in this situation. The conflict between discovery and privacy is one that Signal acknowledges, but their default choice is not "maximum security", it is a compromise. SMS support is also a compromise, but I believe that it is actually a lesser compromise, because the UI makes it very obvious that your message won't be secure if you send a SMS. WhatsApp doesn't need to make the SMS compromise because they already have a well-established network, Signal doesn't have the luxury.

fragmede 2y ago
they implemented usernames so phone numbers are no longer required
- GuB-42 2y ago
  Phone numbers are still required for registration, and the option to make it undiscoverable (so that someone who knows your phone number won't find you on Signal) is not the default, and I think you can't set it before you create your account, leaving a small window of opportunity for someone to discover your account. If Signal was uncompromising on privacy, being undiscoverable by phone number would be the default. In fact, they wouldn't ask for a phone number at all. These are reasonable compromises, but compromises nonetheless.