This article is not about any of the “normal” topics of this newsletter: genealogy, history, current affairs, DNA, and related topics. However, it is important news for those of us who value our online privacy in order to protect ourselves from hackers, ransom thieves, credit card thieves, and government spies:
Encrypted messaging service Signal is now testing usernames, which will offer people a more private way to share their contact details on the app. Signal kicked off the public test today through a new beta build available in its community forums. “After rounds of internal testing, we have hit the point where we think the community that powers these forums can help us test even further before public launch,” says Signal VP of Engineering Jim O’Leary.
The development is a big deal since Signal — an end-to-end encrypted messaging app — has long required users to sign up with a phone number. That same number also needs to be shared in order to message other users on the app. This can be problematic since sharing your phone number exposes you to privacy and hacking risks. For example, a contact on Signal could choose to call and message your number over an unencrypted cellular network or pass off the number to someone else.