@pkreissel According to this article, invite links that can be retracted without changing the user name, are explicitly part of the new feature:

theintercept.com/2024/03/04/si…

Let’s hope that the journalists didn’t get the details wrong (and that I didn’t misunderstand the journalists). @Mer__edith can you confirm?

Signal’s New Usernames Help Keep the Cops Out of Your Data

Ephemeral usernames instead of phone numbers safeguard privacy — and makes the Signal messenger app even harder to subpoena.

^{Micah Lee (The Intercept)}

@Mer__edith @pkreissel @intermobility Hi Meredith,

Can you retract/rotate an invite link without changing your username?

both of these statements are false. Most did not use signal (and who cares if they did). The signal chats that were turned over to law enforcement were obtained either by breaking into people's devices or people handing the chats over.

Signal is only secure as the device it's used on and the people you use it with. This is true for any other encrypted app.

Yeah, well, that's not the only problem with Signal. The phone number thing was a problem, but it's still a closed platform, built on the assumption of unlimited CIA funding that has been pulled, and to make matters worse, has nonexistent customer service. I've been trying for months to get ANY help with a possible man-in-the-middle attack on my partner's signal chats and have heard NOTHING at all for months.

blog.techwork.zone/posts/mitm/
I'm very close to saying "no one should trust Signal", but really...I just want them to be what they always promised to be.

@Bernard

I agree it would likely take many years for #Signal to drop the phone number, although they could easily drop the marketing that subtly implies they';ve done this.

From what I've heard, #SimpleXchat sounds interesting. I'm just waiting for them to clarify what their funding plan is to pay back the VC's and fund future development. RIght now they have money and look like they're doing things right. Avoiding enshitification when the money runs out is hard though (*cough* Wire *cough*).

@Bernard

I got my family on #WireApp , which *had* a good privacy policy. They were bought and deleted all the clauses about not selling PII. It was tough convincing family something bad was up, when the app looked like it still worked the same.

Now I check the funding plan on any new app before getting others involved.

Sure, not every app will make money, but every VC expects a plan to try.

Not being up front with that plan is a red flag for me. Still need to research #Simplex.

#Privacy