zlacker

>>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.

[0]: https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2020/01/23/deploye...

[1]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/17/tories-swit...

>>hjek+7m
The point made by the parent commenter was that you can join any group (if you get someone to invite you) related to a certain topic and get the phone numbers of everyone in that group.

I am not sure about the situation in the US, but in Europe almost all phone numbers are directly linked to a certain person and address by the provider.

>>soziaw+at
> The point

One of the points which, yes, I agree with, but I mainly responded to this:

> I can add phone numbers by enumeration into my contacts and Signal will show who among my contacts is on it.\

> I am not sure about the situation in the US, but in Europe almost all phone numbers are directly linked to a certain person and address by the provider.

Or you can go to a corner shop and buy a Lyca or Lebara SIM with cash. No need to give them your address. You can buy top ups in cash as well. At least in Western Europe this is available everywhere, pretty much.

(I'd still prefer if Signal didn't require phone number to sign up though.)

>>hjek+RL
I've had to provide "home" address and passport/identity docs to purchase SIM cards in Norway, Germany, and Italy. I believe Chile will not sell SIMs to non-citizens.

Off the top of my head, I think it was easier in France (although this was 16 years ago), Iceland, UK. I also recall it being easy in Aus/NZ. Fairly easy in the US as well, I believe, but as I'm a resident, I don't think too much about what address to use when having a prepaid SIM shipped to me, nor do I ever expect to have to show my papers for something like this. (although, of course, a postpaid account usually involves a credit inquiry, so ID docs would be used privately, not for government reasons, for what that's worth).