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How could Signal be considered privacy-conscious ? The first thing they do is ask for your phone number.
by pyb 8mo ago
How could Signal be considered privacy-conscious ? The first thing they do is ask for your phone number.
- neobrain 8mo agoSignal has profiles nowadays that can be used to connect with people without sharing phone numbers. The latter are only used for signup and discarded immediately after.
- reactordev 8mo agoI doubt they are discarded when push notifications exist
- Krizzu 8mo agopush notifications are not related to phone number, but rather to a randomly generated token in app.
- pmontra 8mo agoI don't know how Signal works and I never used it, but could I signup with a phone number and keep using it with another number, on the same phone?
- alias_neo 8mo agoYes. The phone number is just for activation, once activated, you can swap the SIM and carry on. Or have the SIM that receives the activation text in another phone, or be virtual, or whatever.
- pseudalopex 8mo agoAnother comment contradicted this.[1] [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46959019 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46959019
- direwolf20 8mo agoWhatsApp sends a copy of all your messages to ICE. Signal doesn't.
- dizhn 8mo agoSource?
- attila-lendvai 8mo agowhatsapp is facebook; do you need any other "source"? i'd be surprised if they didn't have straight out government logins...
- dizhn 8mo agoOf course I need another source. I think you're right too but this is just speculation. I thought you had access to some actual information.
- direwolf20 8mo agoThey're getting sued for it.
- lotsofpulp 8mo agoAnyone can sue anyone for anything. I have no doubt the US government has access to whatever data it wants from all businesses, but a lawsuit is not evidence of anything.
- andsoitis 8mo ago> They’re getting sued for it If this is the case you’re referring to, then I don’t know that it is proof of your assertion, in fact maybe the opposite: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/31/us-authorities-reportedly-investigate-claims-that-meta-can-read-encrypted-whatsapp-messages https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/31/us-author...
- alt187 8mo agoBecause they have an huge PR campaign and a lot of money to invest in keeping their place.
- DivingForGold 8mo agoGive Signal a burner phone.
- zikduruqe 8mo agoNo they don't. They ask _for_ a phone number. It doesn't have to be yours.
- akimbostrawman 8mo agobecause privacy != anonymity e.g you have privacy in your home but everbody still knows you live there.