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Why does Signal want a phone number to register if it's supposedly privacy first? (programming.dev)

submitted 1 day ago by 0101100101@programming.dev to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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I remember a time when visiting a website that opens a javacript dialog box asking for your name so the message "hi " could be displayed was baulked at.

Why does signal want a phone number to register? Is there a better alternative?

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[-] autonomoususer@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Signal is not perfect but we control its app, libre software. See SimpleX Chat.

Escaping WhatsApp and Discord, anti-libre software, is more important.

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[-] moreeni@lemm.ee 17 points 1 day ago

It's focused on ensuring there is no middleman between you and the other party, but it does not have a goal to provide anonymous messaging. Sadly.

[-] coconut@programming.dev 17 points 1 day ago

no middleman

Signal is not P2P

[-] moreeni@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago

Of course. Sorry, but I meant no middleman as in minifying the role of the server in your messahing. Signal's goal is to ensure the server cannot have access to your messages and its only role is to receive and send data.

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[-] Dirk@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 day ago

Signal IS the middleman.

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[-] coconut@programming.dev 15 points 1 day ago

If you want to be mainstream a) you can't have spammers, scammers, and all the other scum of the earth and b) finding your contacts in the app HAVE TO be plug and play. Literally no normie will bother adding with usernames or whatever.

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[-] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 8 points 1 day ago

SimpleX is coming nicely along. Should be good to switch next year once they got their desktop apps polished up

[-] bizzle@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

Simplex has a bad user experience and needs a lot of work before it's ready for normies.

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this post was submitted on 11 May 2025

184 points (86.2% liked)

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