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'Signal tests usernames to avoid using phone numbers.' Great move? (cybernews.com)

submitted 10 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

24 comments fedilink hide all child comments

It seems useless to me, at least regarding the cybersecurity aspect. Of course, it's helpful when people ask for my contact information, and I don't want to share my phone number or email address.

But they still require information that could be used to prove or be linked to my identity for registration, right? This means a hacker could still reveal your IP address, phone number, email, and your passcode. Likewise, the development team can access these as well.

I know I'm overly cautious about my privacy, but that's just how I am.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 10 months ago

I use Signal because there are few viable alternatives, but I absolutely hate that it requires a phone number at all. Nothing should require a phone number, much less use it as a primary account ID. Phone numbers are not user IDs. They do not belong to users, they can be reassigned to different people by third parties, they are frequently controlled by corporations with horrible security practices.

Ironically, iMessage is much better in this regard. You can actually use it with just an Apple ID, which does not require a phone number, only an email address.

It sounds like Signal will still require a phone number but merely allow you to hide it. That's a big improvement, but still bad.