Privacy

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Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

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Whats the purpose for usernames on signal? (self.privacy)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by Extrasvhx9he to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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Been using signal for years and love it and got the majority of my contacts on to it. My question is how are usernames useful now? You still need to register with a phone number with signal to limit spam and bots afaik and I'm assuming you should protect your username just like you do your phone number anyways because spam, malicious files/messages, etc... What scenario is this addressing where an average person gives up their username to a stranger? The only one I can think of is online dating or other online interactions like on forums. Just seems this is just more tailored to the people who need to be pseudo-anonymous for whatever reason than an actual privacy feature. Even then for the anonymous people does that mean usernames will be able to be changed?

Tldr: Questioning what scenario does signal's new usernames address for the average Joe?

Edit: Just realized can be very useful for work relationships

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[–] mlaga97@lemmy.mlaga97.space -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

If that is the threat model then Signal is not and never was fit for purpose at all.

Because every time I've complained about not wanting to give my phone number to sign up for Signal I've been lectured about how Signal is "all about privacy, not anonymity and those are not the same thing" and how that is good for the average Joe even if it isn't useful for journalists and activists, and what you're saying goes completely against that by suggesting that the police are somehow unable to get the phone number out of the thing that uses the phone number as the user id.

You're describing how a real privacy-focused app like Briar functions, but definitely not how Signal does.

[–] gravitywell@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 months ago

They can't get a phone number from someone if only a username was shared with that person. maybe the people who lectured you about it not also being for anonymity where not aware of plans to ad usernames or that a projects aims and use cases can change over time but signal can and has already been useful to a good number of journalists, not requiring a phone number to share your contact with someone is what id consider a major game changer in terms of what use cases are now open and threat models that can be accounted for.