[_8j50]

No, that's the deception of signal. The general population is already using other identifiers like whatsapp and viber numbers (which almost every country outside the US use even more than sms). Signal refuses to opt-out of phone number collection and usage. With the tens of millions at their disposal and with the time they spend on mobile payments, crypto,etc... you are telling me they can't auto-generate identifiers as alternative to phone numbers? They can't make it alphanumeric and consider any id that is all numbers a phone?

It's all culting around tech/crypto personalities and ignoring the obvious things that don't pass the smell test.

Explain to me why Signal is special as opposed to more popular apps made for the general population that also do E2EE? Explain to me specifically why phone numbers and mobile usage is not optional? Even after like a decade of people begging for it?

This is a lot like PGP email, the same circles of people promoted it (still do in some cases) but the government loves it because email metadata is unencrypted and tech circles insist on email dependency on every app because of the same cult mindset even though hostile middle parties love it. Everything I do in amazon, netflix, uber, slack you name it you can tell my whole life pattern just looking at email subjecte in the clear on an MTA! All because of tech sector refusal to apply critical thinking and creativity when it comes to these things.

So again I ask, if I am allowed to criticaly examine Signal: why is it special and unique that it needs phone numbers no matter what? Especially given device compromise of people you talk to is not in their threat model. e.g.: you are a source and the journalist's phone is compromised, that is exactly what governments do! If signal didn't collect phone numbers all they would see on the journalist's phone would be your nick or in-app id, but thanks to signal they can find out who the source is, and using exploit kits like pegasus this way is not uncommon! Real people are put in danger by signal.

Look at all my downvotes and tell me this is not tech sector conspiracy or at best culting after personalities.