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
Yeah, if you're ever asked why you're on Signal, just say you wanted to stay in touch with a programmer friend who's not on Facebook/WhatsApp, and they suggested Signal (that is now literally true as well - I suggest you try Signal, friend)

>>m12k+wn
I got a group of friends to use Signal because of the following:

1. Sharing videos/pictures/memes is terrible in an SMS group chat 2. One person in the group has bad cell service, so we needed something that would send messages over Wifi 3. Half the people are on Android, so no iMessage 4. 1/4 of the people aren't on Facebook, so no messenger

I was the one who suggested Signal. I did so because I like the end to end encryption, but that was not a selling point for anyone else. They just cared that it solved the problems above.