How safe is the Signal message app
The Signal President defended the security of the message app on Wednesday after senior Trump administration officials mistakenly included a journalist in an encrypted chat room they used to discuss an upcoming US attack on the Huts in Yemen.
Meredith Whitaker does not directly comment on the bluff, which, according to congressmen and senators from the Democratic Party, is a violation of US national security. But she described the app as a « gold standard in private communications ». In a post in X, it outlined the benefits of Signal’s security over the Meta WhatsApp message app.
| « We have an open source, a non -profit organization and develop and apply (end -to -end encryption) and technologies to preserve confidentiality in our system to protect the metadata and the content of the messages, » she said. |
Signal is becoming increasingly popular in Europe and the US as an alternative to WhatsApp as it collects very little data for its users.
- According to Sensor Tower data, a market intelligence company, Signal downloads in the United States in the first three months of 2025 increased by 16% compared to the previous quarter and by 25% compared to the same period of 2024.
In a February interview with the Dutch De Telegraf Whitaker, Signal was a safer alternative because WhatsApp collects metadata that can be used to see who sends messages to whom and how often.
« When they are forced, like all companies that collect data, they transmit it, » Whitaker said in his post to X.
According to US legislation, improper handling, abuse or abuse of classified information may be considered a crime, although it is unclear whether these provisions may have been violated in this case.
Here are some of the main facts about Signal:
How safe is this app
Signal is an open source messaging service and fully encrypted that works on centralized servers supported by Signal Messenger.
- The only user details he stores on his servers are the telephone numbers, the date on which the user has joined the service and the latest login information.
- Instead, the contacts, chats and other communications of users are stored on the user’s phone, with the ability to set the option to automatically delete conversations after a certain period of time.
- The company does not use ads or partner marketing and does not track users’ data, as stated on its website.
- Signal also allows users to hide their phone number from others and use an additional safety number to check the safety of their messages.
- Signal does not use encryption from the US government or other governments and does not host government servers.
The message app has a « star reputation, is widely used and trusts in the Security Community, » said Rocky Cole, whose Iverify Cybersecurity Company helps protect users on hacker smartphone users. « The risk of discussing extremely sensitive national security information in Signal is not so great that it is claimed that Signal itself is uncertain, » added Cole. Factors that pose threats to nation -states, « he said, » they have a demonstrated ability to compromise the entire mobile phone.
How does Signal work
This is a protected message service that uses end -to -end encryption, which means that the service provider does not have access and cannot read private calls and calls from users in his app, thus guaranteeing the confidentiality of his users.
The Signal software is available on various platforms, both on smartphones and on computers, and allows messages, voice and video calls. A phone number is required to register and create an account.
Unlike other messages, Signal does not track or store user data and its code is publicly available, so security experts can check how it works and ensure that it remains safe.
Who is the founder
Signal was founded in 2012 by entrepreneur Moxie Marlines and Whitaker, according to the company’s website.
In February 2018, Marlines, along with WhatsApp co -founder Brian Acton, founded the Signal Foundation for non -profit, which is currently monitoring the application. Acton provided initial funding of $ 50 million. He left WhatsApp in 2017 due to differences in the use of client data and targeted advertising.
Signal is not bound by any major technology company and will never be acquired by one, the website said.
Who uses it
Widely used by privacy defenders and political activists, Signal has moved from an exotic message application used by dissidents through a network of confidential contacts by journalists and media to a tool for government agencies and organizations.
Signal noted « unprecedented » growth in 2021 after a contested change in the privacy of the rival WhatsApp. Privacy advocates have abandoned WhatsApp because of fears that users will have to share their data with both Facebook and Instagram.
Reuters defines Signal as one of the agency informants to use to share confidential news tips with its journalists, while noting that « no system is 100 percent secure. »
The Signal Community Forum – an unofficial group that states that its administration is from Signal employees – according to the European Commission as one of the users.
In 2017, the use of Signal by US Senate staff was approved.
| « Although Signal is considered massively offering a lot of secure communications to users due to its end -to -end encryption and as it collects very little consumer data, it is difficult to believe that it is suitable for exchange of national security related messages, » said Ben Wood, Clane, to hinting at the violation of the offense involving Huti. |
Google Messages and Google Allo Message Services, as well as Meta’s Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, use Signal Protocol, according to the Signal website.
