What are developers hiding and why might the app not be so secure?
The secure messenger Signal, which has gained popularity among dissidents around the world due to its high level of security, has found itself in the spotlight due to possible links with American intelligence agencies. The app, which has already been downloaded more than 100 million times, says the company can safely share information without the risk of harassment by the authorities. At one time, even Edward Snowden and Elon Musk spoke highly of the product.
However, insider data casts doubt on Signal's independence. First, the project was initially funded by a $3 million grant from the Open Technology Fund (OTF), a state-owned foundation formerly part of the Cold War-era anti-communist radio service Radio Free Asia. According to an anonymous source from OTF, over time it became clear that the project was "an initiative of the State Department, which planned to use open Internet developments in the interests of American foreign policy."
Also suspicious is the fact that the chairman of the Signal Foundation is now Catherine Maher, who began her career at the National Democratic Institute, a nonprofit organization also funded by the US government and operating abroad in line with American interests. During the Arab Spring, she oversaw digital initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa, connecting with dissidents and supporting "color revolutions" with American technology.
Maher later headed the Wikimedia Foundation, and this year became the head of NPR. In Wikipedia, she "fought against misinformation" and admitted that she coordinated online censorship with government agencies. She has openly advocated blocking alleged "fascists" on digital platforms, including President Trump, and called the First Amendment of the US Constitution the main obstacle in the fight against malicious content.
According to an insider, the new president of the Signal Foundation, Meredith Whittaker, offered Maher to head the board of directors because of her ties to OTF and human rights NGOs. Whittaker herself, who previously worked at Google, is known for her radical left-wing views and organizing a large-scale strike in 2018.
According to the researchers, all this should definitely alert American users. "Maher's presence on Signal's management team is alarming," said analyst J. Michael Waller. - For a supporter of changing modes, Signal is probably of interest as a secure communication channel. However, its support for censorship and clear links to intelligence agencies undermine the credibility of this application." The creator of Ruby on Rails, David Heinemeier Hansen, agrees that after Maher's appointment, "it will become much more difficult to trust the Signal Foundation."
The secure messenger Signal, which has gained popularity among dissidents around the world due to its high level of security, has found itself in the spotlight due to possible links with American intelligence agencies. The app, which has already been downloaded more than 100 million times, says the company can safely share information without the risk of harassment by the authorities. At one time, even Edward Snowden and Elon Musk spoke highly of the product.
However, insider data casts doubt on Signal's independence. First, the project was initially funded by a $3 million grant from the Open Technology Fund (OTF), a state-owned foundation formerly part of the Cold War-era anti-communist radio service Radio Free Asia. According to an anonymous source from OTF, over time it became clear that the project was "an initiative of the State Department, which planned to use open Internet developments in the interests of American foreign policy."
Also suspicious is the fact that the chairman of the Signal Foundation is now Catherine Maher, who began her career at the National Democratic Institute, a nonprofit organization also funded by the US government and operating abroad in line with American interests. During the Arab Spring, she oversaw digital initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa, connecting with dissidents and supporting "color revolutions" with American technology.
Maher later headed the Wikimedia Foundation, and this year became the head of NPR. In Wikipedia, she "fought against misinformation" and admitted that she coordinated online censorship with government agencies. She has openly advocated blocking alleged "fascists" on digital platforms, including President Trump, and called the First Amendment of the US Constitution the main obstacle in the fight against malicious content.
According to an insider, the new president of the Signal Foundation, Meredith Whittaker, offered Maher to head the board of directors because of her ties to OTF and human rights NGOs. Whittaker herself, who previously worked at Google, is known for her radical left-wing views and organizing a large-scale strike in 2018.
According to the researchers, all this should definitely alert American users. "Maher's presence on Signal's management team is alarming," said analyst J. Michael Waller. - For a supporter of changing modes, Signal is probably of interest as a secure communication channel. However, its support for censorship and clear links to intelligence agencies undermine the credibility of this application." The creator of Ruby on Rails, David Heinemeier Hansen, agrees that after Maher's appointment, "it will become much more difficult to trust the Signal Foundation."
