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Signal Finally Rolls Out Usernames, So You Can Keep Your Phone Number Private
We tested the end-to-end encrypted messenger’s new feature aimed at addressing critics’ most persistent complaint. Here’s how it works.
A reporter can now post a Signal username on a social media profile to allow sources to send encrypted tips, for instance, without also sharing a number that allows strangers to call their cell phone in the middle of the night. In fact, designing a system that prevents spam accounts and imports the user's address book without requiring a phone number is “a deceptively hard problem,” says Whittaker. Green notes, however, that even if it doesn't satisfy the most die-hard privacy advocates, it represents a significant improvement for a much larger portion of Signal's hundreds of millions of users.
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