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Whats the purpose for usernames on signal?
(lemmy.today)
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this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2024
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Privacy
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If that is the threat model then Signal is not and never was fit for purpose at all.
Because every time I've complained about not wanting to give my phone number to sign up for Signal I've been lectured about how Signal is "all about privacy, not anonymity and those are not the same thing" and how that is good for the average Joe even if it isn't useful for journalists and activists, and what you're saying goes completely against that by suggesting that the police are somehow unable to get the phone number out of the thing that uses the phone number as the user id.
You're describing how a real privacy-focused app like Briar functions, but definitely not how Signal does.
They can't get a phone number from someone if only a username was shared with that person. maybe the people who lectured you about it not also being for anonymity where not aware of plans to ad usernames or that a projects aims and use cases can change over time but signal can and has already been useful to a good number of journalists, not requiring a phone number to share your contact with someone is what id consider a major game changer in terms of what use cases are now open and threat models that can be accounted for.