cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12200311
Signal Finally Rolls Out Usernames, So You Can Keep Your Phone Number Private
Signal is one of those apps that is good because it is popular and old.
However, they need to step up there game if they want to compete with other messagers.
Its also the only really free messenger. Free as in freedom and no money.
- Session
- Briar
- Simplex Chat
- Jami (unproven)
Whittaker says that, for better or worse, a phone number remains a necessary requisite
Worse. It is for the worse. We sure did wait a long time for this half measure, Signal.
Is there a reasonable alternative, though? Email addresses? Adding a cryptographic challenge to prevent somebody from generating tons of accounts?
As far as phone numbers go, I’m not a big fan of Signal having them, but I definitely prefer not having to give them out! That change is a huge deal to me, as I can now communicate with people without handing them a phone number. And Signal has provided their client and server source code, along with evidence that their servers store absolutely nothing.
Nowadays, the most likely way your Signal data will get leaked is if somebody screenshots it.
phone numbers for spam prevention are a bandaid for a mediocre solution. the mediocre aspect being that it’s totally centralized when it should at least be federated like SimpleX. SimpleX is the ultimate solution to be honest with you, it’s federated, fast, extremely private and extremely secure.
I don’t mind SimpleX. I use it myself, sometimes. But it is also currently a very obscure service, and it’s not exactly easy to find people to communicate with. Phone numbers, and now usernames, provide a jumping-off point for that.
How do you find people on SimpleX and then make sure you’re talking to them in a group later on? Right now, that’s really hard.
And right now, SimpleX is pretty small, so if it starts expanding in that first area, how would it prevent spam?
