- cross-posted to:
- privacy@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- privacy@lemmy.ml
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Signal blog post on the topic, with instructions and links to join the beta: https://signal.org/blog/phone-number-privacy-usernames/
Can LEO tie a username to a phone number?
From Signal’s blog footnotes:
Usernames in Signal are protected using a custom Ristretto 25519 hashing algorithm and zero-knowledge proofs. Signal can’t easily see or produce the username if given the phone number of a Signal account. Note that if provided with the plaintext of a username known to be in use, Signal can connect that username to the Signal account that the username is currently associated with. However, once a username has been changed or deleted, it can no longer be associated with a Signal account.
Depends. How smart is Leo?
Awesome! I love Signal and the lack of usernames has always been one of it’s bigger downsides, especially when comparing against other messaging apps.
I see this as both a win and a problem:
As soon as you take away a hard link to a real-life identifier, the sketchy people come out of the woodwork and spread images of child exploitation.
Signal has not had this problem like some platforms (e.g. Kik), and I suspect two reasons:
- Lack of searchable chat rooms
- Concrete link to a phone number that anyone who contacts you must know (and make it easy to identify you to authorities)
Up until now signal has been an excellent secure replacement for text messaging between parties that know each other. I hope they don’t go the “chat groups” route, though I doubt they will. But I suspect this change will make it a preferred way for abusers to exchange images and videos nearly anonymously.
So do I still need to provide a phone number when I sign up?
you will still need a phone number to sign up for Signal
From signals official blog, yes you do
Well, then this changes nothing as it applies to political organizing.
