Benvenuto nel Poliverso

Signal needs a phone number. Why are we dismissing this as privacy versus anonymity when governments are blocking the registration SMS?

I really don’t get why so many people are turning this into a privacy versus anonymity debate when the real problem is censorship.

Yes, Signal needs a phone number to sign up, but replacing that with an email or username doesn’t make it anonymous. The real issue is that governments are blocking the registration SMS, so people can’t even sign up for the app in the first place.

Sure, there are workarounds, but most people aren’t going to jump through all those extra hoops just to use an app. If we want to spread privacy, how do we do that when Signal's phone number requirement is actively working against us?

Instead of arguing over privacy versus anonymity, shouldn’t we focus on making sure everyone can access Signal without issues? What do you think?

#privacy

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Autonomous User

Ulrich

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

Where are you seeing gov blocking SMS?

in reply to Ulrich

Autonomous User

in reply to Ulrich • 1 mese fa • •

github.com/signalapp/Signal-An…

Verification code never received [Chinese phone number, previously working]

I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates I am submitting a bug report for existing functionality that does not work as intended I have read https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/...

^{ksl1989 (GitHub)}

in reply to Autonomous User

Ulrich

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

There's any number of reasons for SMS not to be sent. I've had this problem on various platforms as well.

in reply to Ulrich

Autonomous User

in reply to Ulrich • 1 mese fa • •

The point is that people can't sign up for Signal due to blocked SMS. Arguing privacy versus anonymity is pointless when there is a denial of service.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Autonomous User

Ulrich

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

These are 2 unrelated conversations. If you want to have either one of them, we can do that, but you can't use one to argue the other. You can't argue that you can't sign up for Signal because the service isn't private. That's simply inaccurate.

in reply to Ulrich

Autonomous User

in reply to Ulrich • 1 mese fa • •

This is never written anywhere in that comment. Is it too hard to read? Which part is confusing?

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Autonomous User

Ulrich

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

You haven't provided any evidence that it's "blocked" or that there is any "denial of service". As far as I can tell, the user has network issues.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Ulrich

Autonomous User

in reply to Ulrich • 1 mese fa • •

Why are all the 'network issues' always effecting phone numbers starting with the same country code?

in reply to Autonomous User

Ulrich

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

Are they?

in reply to Ulrich

Autonomous User

in reply to Ulrich • 1 mese fa • •

Get a number like theirs and try it yourself.

in reply to Autonomous User

Ulrich

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

Okay so you don't have any evidence.

Even if they are, like I mentioned elsewhere, just get a VoIP number.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Ulrich

Autonomous User

in reply to Ulrich • 1 mese fa • •

You were given the evidence. It's clear you don't want evidence. A VoIP number does not solve this as the original post already explains.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Autonomous User

Ulrich

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

You haven't provided any evidence. Only an anecdote.

in reply to Ulrich

iturnedintoanewt

in reply to Ulrich • 1 mese fa • •

How about this - in order to get a sim card to receive that SMS in most EU countries, you need first to provide your ID to the goverment. Also applies for many other countries with less rights. Some of which might become suspicious if it's a second separate SIM to your normal use one. So yeah, so much for anonymity.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to iturnedintoanewt

Ulrich

in reply to iturnedintoanewt • 1 mese fa • •

That didn't answer my question
Doesn't matter what country you're in. You don't need a SIM. All you need is a number, which you can get from a variety of places like MySudo or jmp.chat
No one said Signal provided anonymity.

in reply to Ulrich

Autonomous User

in reply to Ulrich • 1 mese fa • •

2 and 3 are the whole point of the original post.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Autonomous User

Ulrich

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

How do you figure?

in reply to iturnedintoanewt

shades

in reply to iturnedintoanewt • 1 mese fa • •

you need first to provide your ID to the goverment.

Doesn't need to be a government issued ID iirc, also doesn't have to be issued by the country you are trying to purchase it in.

in reply to Autonomous User

Sailor88

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

We should be working to get more people to use XMPP rather than signal, Whatsapp, etc.

in reply to Sailor88

Autonomous User

in reply to Sailor88 • 1 mese fa • •

Yes but Signal is libre. If you're already failing, stop making it harder. Get others to care first, then go for decentralisation.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Autonomous User

Dessalines

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

shouldn’t we focus on making sure everyone can access Signal without issues?

I'd rather ppl not use US-based centralized services, hosted on amazon's servers, and subject to national security letters.

There are far better self-hostable alternatives that aren't hosted in burgerland.

National Security Letters: FAQ

Table of Contents Essential Information on NSLs Statutes and Legal Arguments about NSLs Receiving an NSL Fixing NSLs Essential Information on NSLs What is an NSL? What’s so bad about NSLs? Who can issue an NSL? Does a judge play any role in the NSL p…

^{Electronic Frontier Foundation}

in reply to Dessalines

Autonomous User

in reply to Dessalines • 1 mese fa • •

github.com/signalapp/Signal-Se…

But you're right about decentralisation. The main issue is:

lemmy.world/comment/19308972

GitHub - signalapp/Signal-Server: Server supporting the Signal Private Messenger applications on Android, Desktop, and iOS

Server supporting the Signal Private Messenger applications on Android, Desktop, and iOS - signalapp/Signal-Server

^GitHub

in reply to Autonomous User

Dessalines

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

They went a whole year without publishing updates to repo a few years back, until there was a big community backlash over it. Also you have no guarantee that's what they're running other than: "just trust us".

in reply to Dessalines

Autonomous User

in reply to Dessalines • 1 mese fa • •

What is this slop? Libre software has never meant we control what other people do with their servers.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Autonomous User

rumba

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

Different people have different wants and needs.

Your real problem might be censorship.

But your uncensored messages are going to other people who might have a problem that's not censorship. When you sent that message to your uncle last week about all the horrible things done around the world, and he gets stopped at the border to another country, and they used a certain unlocking software provided by another country with a really big intelligence service. Now his ass is waiting in lock up for agreeing with you on a message. His problem isn't censorship.

There are lots of ways to avoid censorship. There are very few to remain anonymous while you're doing it.

in reply to rumba

herseycokguzelolacak

in reply to rumba • 1 mese fa • •

Everytime Signal fanboys hype Signal up, it reminds me of this XKCD: xkcd.com/538/

also: lemmy.ml/post/35962253/2100348…

Security

^xkcd

in reply to Autonomous User

herseycokguzelolacak

in reply to Autonomous User • 1 mese fa • •

Signal is like TSA: it's security theater. Any entity serious about security will not do these things that Signal is doing:
- Hostility to non-Google appstores
- Using phone numbers and SMS for signup
- US-based entitity controlling the ecosystem

in reply to herseycokguzelolacak

icelimit

in reply to herseycokguzelolacak • 1 mese fa • •

So what messaging platform is actually serious about security per the points you have described?

in reply to icelimit

herseycokguzelolacak

in reply to icelimit • 1 mese fa • •

SimpleX is promising, but seems very new.

Telegram is better than Signal on many angles, but has other problems.

I don't think there is a perfect app yet. But Signal's aggressive marketing is security-theater, not real security.

in reply to herseycokguzelolacak

Schlemmy

in reply to herseycokguzelolacak • 1 mese fa • •

Telegram as a platform is amazing. Feature rich while still easy to use.
Easy to create useful bots too.
Sadly the rest is questionable.

Questa voce è stata modificata (1 mese fa)

in reply to Schlemmy

herseycokguzelolacak

in reply to Schlemmy • 1 mese fa • •

Telegram is what Signal is pretending to be. Telegram has other serious problems, but still lightyears ahead.

⇧

Autonomous User via Privacy

Autonomous User
1 mese fa • •

Signal needs a phone number. Why are we dismissing this as privacy versus anonymity when governments are blocking the registration SMS?

Ulrich

Autonomous User

Verification code never received [Chinese phone number, previously working]

Ulrich

Autonomous User

Ulrich

Autonomous User

Ulrich

Autonomous User

Ulrich

Autonomous User

Ulrich

Autonomous User

Ulrich

iturnedintoanewt

Ulrich

Autonomous User

Ulrich

shades

Sailor88

Autonomous User

Dessalines

National Security Letters: FAQ

Autonomous User

GitHub - signalapp/Signal-Server: Server supporting the Signal Private Messenger applications on Android, Desktop, and iOS

Dessalines

Autonomous User

rumba

herseycokguzelolacak

Security

herseycokguzelolacak

icelimit

herseycokguzelolacak

Schlemmy

herseycokguzelolacak

Autonomous User via Privacy

Autonomous User 1 mese fa • •

Autonomous User
1 mese fa • •