The “Signalgate” Memes Have Entered the Chat
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Omg! Is this the start of -gategate??
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Can we retire the "-gate" suffix please?
Not until we have Elongate pls
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Tbf, Signal, and most modern chat clients with multi-device syncing are not great for opsec.
When it comes to privacy from mass surveillance or using your metadata to mine demographic preferences who you are talking to etc Signal sits at the top of generally available chat clients.
But it’s geared for the convenience and privacy of the average user not military security.
Eg: when it comes to group chats you just have to get one of the members of the chat to fall for a device syncing link, for then the whole group chat future messages to become available to the attacker. What’s more, no admin or other user of the chat gets to have approval or visibility privileges or notification of a new synced device for that chat or any info about the status of each of the devices on that chat.
But it’s geared for the convenience and privacy of the average user not military security.
Military security (or military grade whatever) is a buzzword that makes sense in some contexts. In a lot of them, it doesn't.
For example, for a lot of military-grade products you can have assumptions that are not always given for a platform that messenger operate on. Like that the device is always stored in a secure location. That it's administered by trained personnel. That the device operator has received training on proper usage etc. In fact, a lot of military systems probably couldn't be operated securely in a John Doe context b because of environmental security requirements. In that regard, messengers have to be more secure.
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NB: These are memes about the signal etc, not memes FROM the signal etc.
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