Signal boost: Secure chat app is wobbly at the moment. Not surprising after gaining 30m+ users in a week, though
- Reference: 1610739047
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/01/15/signal_app_down/
- Source link:
Texts sent via its iOS and Android apps are delayed or not getting through at all; we've had very mixed results using the platform today. On the desktop side, our vultures have struggled to pair their phones with the client. Here's what the Signal team had to say about it:
[1]
Signal is experiencing technical difficulties. We are working hard to restore service as quickly as possible. — Signal (@signalapp) [2]January 15, 2021
Those technical difficulties come as at least 30 million people [3]joined the non-profit end-to-end encrypted communications platform in a matter of days this week. Its Android install base alone soared from 10 million to 40 million-plus almost overnight. And it's been the number-one app for social networking on Apple’s App Store.
[4]
We have been adding new servers and extra capacity at a record pace every single day this week nonstop, but today exceeded even our most optimistic projections. Millions upon millions of new users are sending a message that privacy matters. We appreciate your patience. — Signal (@signalapp) [5]January 15, 2021
The surge is likely due to Facebook-owned WhatsApp [6]forcing folks to agree to a "privacy" policy ostensibly updated to allow businesses to interact with customers via the chat software. The fine print, though, ultimately allows Facebook and its network of subsidiaries to access WhatsApp users' personal info, sparking a mild exodus to alternative providers.
End-to-end encryption? In Android's default messaging app? Don't worry, nobody else noticed either [7]READ MORE
Signal has been recommended by big names in tech like Edward Snowden and Jack Dorsey, and more recently, Elon Musk, who last week urged his 42 million followers on Twitter to use the software.
Although Signal has been around for almost seven years, it is utterly dwarfed by WhatsApp, Snapchat, Telegram, WeChat, and others, which together serve billions of netizens. Computer security professionals, journalists, activists, and others tend to prefer Signal, though, because it's [8]open source , designed from the ground up to be strongly end-to-end encrypted, and it [9]actively tries to store the bare minimum of user's details.
It's clear the organization behind Signal is scaling up as fast as it can. Cofounder and respected cryptographer Moxie Marlinspike put out a [10]recruitment call yesterday. The team also called for [11]donations . ®
Updated to add
[12]
Amid the ongoing evacuation from WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned biz has [13]pushed back its privacy policy change to May rather than February. After bungling the communication of its changes to its T&Cs, it's now going to use the extra time to address people's concerns and "help everyone understand our principles and the facts."
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x250&tile=2&c=2YAIegucs91JVtZ6xg-w4wgAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://twitter.com/signalapp/status/1350118809860886528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3] https://twitter.com/signalapp/status/1349577579091566592
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x250%7C300x252%7C300x600&tile=3&c=33YAIegucs91JVtZ6xg-w4wgAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://twitter.com/signalapp/status/1350165610936766464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/06/whatsapp_privacy_policy_demand/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2020/11/20/google_rcs_e2e_brouhaha/
[8] https://github.com/signalapp
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/05/signal_blur_tool/
[10] https://twitter.com/moxie/status/1349795342829514752
[11] https://twitter.com/signalapp/status/1349820907313762304
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251&tile=4&c=44YAIegucs91JVtZ6xg-w4wgAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://blog.whatsapp.com/giving-more-time-for-our-recent-update
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Oh, hi Mark
Err what's the business model here?
not to be a business
From the signal website: "Signal is an independent nonprofit. We're not tied to any major tech companies, and we can never be acquired by one either. Development is supported by grants and donations from people like you."
Err what's the business model here?
Firefox? Wikipedia?
What's better? Signal or telegram?
Signal.
Never used Telegram, but Signal has improved massively in the last couple of years.
In years of use, today is the first time it has failed me. No video of the grand-kids for me today.
Telegram has over 500 million users and, although a bit slow sometimes, has been able to cope pretty well with the recent increase in users.
Privacy wise, Signal offers a better basic solution, as Telegram only offers end-to-end encryption if you explicitly star a "secret chat" and chats are stored on Telegram's servers while Signal says it doesn't keep chat centrally, they're only kept on users phones.
Feature wise, Telegram had a nicer interface (and more emojis, if that's your thing) and offers a larger file transfer capability than Signal does.
In the end, it all depends on your own contact list. My own experience shows a 5 to 1 contacts ratio between WhatsApp and Telegram, and again 5 to 1 between Telegram and Signal.
I can't stand Signal. It's riddled with problems:
- clunky app
- can't set different alert tone for personal messages and group messages
- rubbish desktop client, can only leave groups or mute people via mobile app
- messages sometime fail for no reason, especially in large groups
- more that I can't think of off-hand
Obviously the Signal protocol is solid because WhatsApp are able to implement it really nicely.
Telegram has the best feature set in my mind and the UX is SILKY smooth, plus doesn't have irritating group size limits like WhatsApp.
The Signal changelogs are witty, though!
fine here
what's wrong with a ding?
desktop for a phone app? meh, discord usually doesn't ding phone if desktop app is open.
probably the 30m+ people signing up :|
?
Have WhatsApp halted the "privacy" change?
Rumours have they've halted the change, I saw it from a usually reliable lawyer (OK, I've not counted my fingers) but it was linked to apple.news which I don't access.
Re: Have WhatsApp halted the "privacy" change?
It won't be halted. It will be delayed.
I did wonder why 4 somewhat unrelated people among my contacts suddenly appeared on Signal within 24 hours. When one of them mentioned Elon Musk, it suddenly made sense. They are comprised of 2 physicists and 2 business leaders!
To put that in perspective, that's about the same number of new users I'd seen in the previous year. I've been using it for a while. It could be better in places but it's certainly not bad and it's long been my default SMS app.
GDPR
It seems European area (EEA and UK) users will not have their data shared with other Facebook companies, and I've read the net effect of this is no change European users. So far it seems nobody's done a before and after privacy policy diff to confirm this (this is something Facebook should be providing anyway to assuage fears).
But if this is true then it's a spectacular own goal from Facebook, there've screwed up the communication so much there's a stampede of privacy-minded European users leaving for other platforms for no reason at all.
Myeah, amateurish programming and all that...