Signal is an end-to-end encrypted free messaging app owned by US-based non-profit Signal Foundation. It has been shaking things up in the digital communication landscape. Even though Signal is pegged at 40-70 million monthly users, it can still be profound. Its unpopularity is due in part to robust security, like its end-to-end encryption (E2EE), often called the “gold standard.” End-to-end encryption protects messages in transit. Only the sender and receiver can read them, and even Signal itself can’t see what’s inside. The app’s security and privacy features have made it a favorite among cybersecurity professionals and journalists. We’ve found that everyone from those who insist on confidentiality to everyone shady loves this app.
The Signal Foundation is funded by donations, not ad sales, further underscoring their commitment to protecting user privacy. Signal’s security features go beyond just E2EE, with users having the ability to make messages disappear after a set time. Use of this added layer of security is what makes Signal attractive to people dealing with sensitive information.
"Signal is the gold standard in private comms." – Meredith Whittaker
Signal also recently shot to fame when Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally included on a group chat. In that call, organizers strategized action against the Houthi militia in Yemen. This event underscores the app’s infiltration into spaces usually protected by secure communication centers. In the past, such discussions were conducted behind the closed doors of a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (Scif). Inside this super-sensitive zone, personal electronic devices are completely off-limits.
No wonder data expert Caro Robson suggested a worry on the high-ranking security officials’ use of Signal as a communication method. She emphasized the extraordinary nature of this practice. For Robson, it’s “very, very unusual” for the officials to discuss highly sensitive topics on a messaging app. Usually, that means they like to operate in higher-security areas, like Scifs.
Needless to say, Signal has not shied away from making enemies by taking a stronger stand against attempts to water down its encryption standards. Most recently in 2023, it reportedly threatened to pull the app from the UK entirely if lawmakers interfered with its security measures. This position came about amid long-running debates around government access to encrypted information. In the face of government pressure, Apple went so far as to remove an end-to-end encryption feature in the UK.
The one area of the app’s experience that has proven an inviting target for government oversight has been its apparent campaign for privacy and security. It is still a lodestar for privacy-preserving communication. With digital privacy under increasing assault, it’s crucial now more than ever.