"Centralised messenger Signal has just announced that they are making part of their server software closed source. They claim it is to fight spam, but by using closed source they make it impossible for outsiders to verify the truth. This is worrying.
We really, really need a fully open, decentralised alternative to Signal.
There are several alternatives being developed, please support them:
➡️ @matrix
➡️ @delta
➡️ @briar
➡️ @Jami "
It can be very tempting to immediately jump on the “ban signal” bandwagon, but I think it would be wise to take a step back and understand where they’re coming from.
In reading the blog post their focus is on user privacy as their top priority. I don’t believe signal would make this decision without privacy in mind. What’s the alternative?
If spammers run rampant, Signal has a bigger privacy nightmare on their hands. Maybe by a miracle you got Grandpa to join you on signal. But a spammer then reached out to him with “hot young singles in your area” and Grandpa just had to click. Now suddenly Grandpa’s retirement savings are gone.
So I’m not saying it’s not worrisome. I’m saying let’s remain open-minded. After all, it’s nearly impossible to have 100% open source software in any stack. You’re either using an AMD or Intel CPU. They’re both closed source, but they allow you to interact with a privacy community.
I agree, this is not necessarily good but signal is still great!