If you hadnât heard of Signal before this week, chances are youâre well aware of it now. The messaging app was thrust into the news on Monday when The Atlanticâs editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to a group chat involving top military officials planning an airstrike. Even though it entered the discourse for extremely unusual reasons, Signal has been, and remains, a well-regarded messaging platform for secure communication. Itâs not foolproof â emphasis on fool, in this case â but itâs worth understanding what it is and how it works, even if youâre not a person who deals with highly confidential information.
What is Signal?
Signal is a messaging app. You download it to your iOS or Android device, link your phone number, and youâre ready to go â just like other services like WhatsApp or Telegram. The thing that makes Signal different is its emphasis on privacy. Communication on the platform is end-to-end encrypted by default, and the app offers additional protections to keep your private discussions private.
Why is end-to-end encryption important?
Aside from, say, walking over to someone and whispering in their ear, end-to-end encryption …