I really don’t get why so many people are turning this into a privacy versus anonymity debate when the real problem is censorship.

Yes, Signal needs a phone number to sign up, but replacing that with an email or username doesn’t make it anonymous. The real issue is that governments are blocking the registration SMS, so people can’t even sign up for the app in the first place.

Sure, there are workarounds, but most people aren’t going to jump through all those extra hoops just to use an app. If we want to spread privacy, how do we do that when Signal’s phone number requirement is actively working against us?

Instead of arguing over privacy versus anonymity, shouldn’t we focus on making sure everyone can access Signal without issues? What do you think?

  • rumba@lemmy.zipEnglish
    82·
    23 hours ago

    Different people have different wants and needs.

    Your real problem might be censorship.

    But your uncensored messages are going to other people who might have a problem that’s not censorship. When you sent that message to your uncle last week about all the horrible things done around the world, and he gets stopped at the border to another country, and they used a certain unlocking software provided by another country with a really big intelligence service. Now his ass is waiting in lock up for agreeing with you on a message. His problem isn’t censorship.

    There are lots of ways to avoid censorship. There are very few to remain anonymous while you’re doing it.