Secure messaging service Signal is still ready to shut down its Canadian operations if Bill C-22, known as the Lawful Access Act, becomes law and is enforced.
Reminder that Signal is used by the Canadian Armed Forces, because it’s basically the only messaging app that complies with their security requirements.
Didn’t know that. This is gonna get interesting.
They’d run their own instance.
You can run instances of Signal? I had no idea.
Not painlessly, but the server is FOSS and so are the clients. I haven’t looked into doing it. It probably involves modifying identifiers and clients to use different domains. It’s not intended for trivial roll-your-own setups but some have done it.
That’s darn neat. Thank you for the info!
Why not matrix?
I was going to say that a protocol that prioritizes permanence and data duplication first is bad for privacy, and that metadata leakage dangers are at an all-time high with the software… But it is the military so maybe those are desirable traits for them. They just aren’t desirable to me.
That’s basically exactly it. Signal is used in scenarios where data being ephemeral is a benefit. For messaging that needs to be secure and lasting, they have DND email, which is extremely secure and can only be accessed from controlled machines in controlled environments.
Has too much metadata
Thank you Signal for sticking with your foundational charter. Please continue to do so.
Toss out garbage C-22!
Repeal all anti-terrorist legislation passed since the 90s. They have been used for nothing other than suppressing civil rights and have not prevented or solved terrorism. They will say ‘but then we will see a 9/11 every week’. No, we will not. Shut up
If this happens it seems decentralized E2EE messaging would be the only option for Canadians who value privacy. And that stuff tends to be more awkward to use, and much harder to get people to use, than something as slick as Signal.
And it’s not just Signal. Major VPN providers are also threatening to quit Canada over this bill. Which will go perfectly with demands for online age verification (that is, ID tracking) and a crackdown on “piracy” sites. Many of the best things on the internet, amd what little online privacy we still have, could be taken away from Canadians in coming months or years.
And that’s before even considering what it means for low-budget operators of websites and services like the Fediverse, who may not be able to afford to comply. These laws always seem to squeeze the small players and favour the mega corporations. Not to mention that despite all Carney’s big talk and the clear threat the USA poses to Canada, the Canadian government’s actions seem determined to hand ever more Canadians’ data over to the USA.
GPG/PGP
You can encrypt your communications and send the encrypted text over the service of your choosing. Like you said, it’s not painless but it’s something that governments can’t interfere with unless they start blocking Linux software repos and other software distribution sites. I’m pretty sure there are some messaging and email apps that already allow for the use of GPG/PGP so for some users it could be a simple as installing and sharing a key with their friends.
it could be a simple as installing and sharing a key with their friends.
That’s more than most people will be prepared to do. I can tell my family to install Signal and message me there, and after many years of asking them, some actually do while most still insist on WhatsApp or SMS. If I were to tell them to send me a key, none of them would do it. It’s frustrating but most people are willing to put zero effort into privacy, and most people don’t understand or care why it’s important. So it’s really valuable to have something like Signal where it’s extremely easy for them to get started, and still some of my friends and family say it’s too complicated to install Signal as well as WhatsApp.
Signal is the only messaring app I keep installed and most of my social network is on it. It would be pretty painful if it disappears.
most of my social network is on it
See that’s my challenge, most of my social network is still at the “posting my kids on social media is okay” level of internet survival instinct.
Sigh. Yeah, that’s the most common case.
I actually welcome it. It would be nice if the masses migrated to something more secure. Ideally one that doesn’t require a phone number
The masses will migrate to WhatsApp, which is a step in the wrong direction in many ways. But Signal and WhatsApp both make it very easy to get started and find contacts, and that’s essential for anything most users will adopt. I don’t know of any Signal alternative that’s comparably secure and equally easy for a new user to get started with. Most truly secure messaging apps are quite difficult to get started with.
Nobody migrates to WhatsApp lol. Everyone already had WhatsApp
Those that use Signal use it when WhatsApp isn’t good enough for privacy
