>>pera+(OP)
The biggest drawback with Signal for protesters is that it exposes the user's phone number to everyone else in groups (just like WhatsApp does). There is no way to even hide the fact that you have an account on Signal. I can add phone numbers by enumeration into my contacts and Signal will show who among my contacts is on it. If the authorities don't use tactics like they did in Hong Kong, the protesters may be safe from being spied on (or worse).
>>AnonC+ul
Signal is not only used by protesters[0][1] so discovering that a phone number is connected to a Signal account by no means implies that the phone is used by a protester.
>>hjek+7m
That doesn't change the fact that all phone numbers are visible to all group members. All it takes is one rogue participant to reveal the identities of all members. If that actor has access to triangulation data they now have identity, location history, words and possibly images/video.
>>unicor+Mt
I'm sure this is an underrated part of why discord became such a big thing in gaming communities. With so many toxic players and threats against a person so common, a good threat model would care a lot less about surveillance and a lot more about everyone seeing your phone number