The encrypted messaging app Signal faced major delays in verifying the phone numbers of new accounts on Thursday, due to a sudden increase in people trying to log onto the platform.
In messages posted from its official Twitter account, the nonprofit Signal Foundation said the verification codes were late on multiple cellular networks and that was working on the buildup as quickly as possible.
Verification codes are currently overdue at a number of providers because many new people are trying to sign in now (we can barely register our enthusiasm). We are working with operators to resolve this as soon as possible. Hold on. – Sign (@signalapp) January 7, 2021
Although it is now said that the problem was sorted out, the increase in signal subscriptions followed recent changes in privacy policy highlighted by rival WhatsApp messaging platform.
On Wednesday, WhatsApp began rolling out its latest terms and privacy policy, which allows the popular messaging app to share a significant amount of user data with Facebook. The changes, which are expected to take effect on February 8, 2021, are mandatory and users will not be able to continue using WhatsApp unless they accept the terms.
Users who agree to the terms can expect the registration of the WhatsApp account and phone number, transaction data, service-related information, interaction information, mobile device information, IP address and other data to be shared with Facebook.
Facebook said The Verge the updated terms related to messages with companies, and that nothing is changing for regular users, however, the lack of an opt-out option and the amount of data sharing highlighted by the updated policy raised privacy concerns.
Last month, WhatsApp publicly protested Apple’s requirement that developers send information about what user data they collect to privacy labels on the App Store, saying it could give their messaging app a competitive disadvantage.
At the end of last year, Apple applied the App Store ‘privacy labels’. For the first time, it’s easy to compare how much data an app links to your account Looking at the messaging apps, the contrast is quite large pic.twitter.com/Ntw8sELMHX
– Morgan (@morqon) January 5, 2021
The increase in the number of Signal users was also related to tweets posted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who recently became the richest person in the world. As noted by The Verge, Musk continued the trend to criticize Facebook with a Twitter post on Wednesday night after the attack on the United States Capitol building.
Musk shared a meme suggesting that the Facebook foundation eventually led to the day’s events, and followed up with a tweet suggesting that its 41.5 million voters “use Signal”, presumably instead of a Facebook product like WhatsApp. Musk’s suggestion was later retweeted by Edward Snowden, another prominent Signal fan.
Notably, the Signal Foundation was co-funded and funded by Brian Acton, the former WhatsApp co-founder who left the company after it was purchased by Facebook in 2014. Later, Acton encouraged his Twitter followers to delete Facebook.
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