petersuber

This article is interesting for many reasons. One is that high-level #Trump officials are using #Signal (@signalapp) for top-secret govt business.
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/24/atlantic-yemen-signal-hegseth-jeffrey-goldberg

Many questions:
* Are they doing this because it's more convenient than comparable govt tools? (See Hillary Clinton's email server.) Or more secure? Both?
* Are there rules against this? (See Clinton's email server.) Are these officials breaking the law?
* Does this mean Signal is safe from govt attempts to force open a backdoor?

#Encryption #USPol #USPolitics

"Heads should roll": Congress erupts over stunning Trump admin leak

"We can't chalk this up to a simple mistake – people should be fired for this," said one House Democrat.

Axios
Mar 24, 2025 at 8:05pmWeb
Show threadpetersuberMar 25, 2025

@signalapp
In the article that broke this story, #JeffreyGoldberg called #Signal a "commercial" messaging app.
https://archive.is/F9FSe

And as far as I can tell, most of the media are following his lead on that.

But Signal is #OpenSource, developed and managed by the #nonprofit Signal Foundation. I'd call that non-commercial or barely commercial. I think Goldberg and other journalists mean "non-governmental" or "private sector".

Small point in the big picture. But it's not as if Signal is profiting from the govt business or even the publicity.

#Diction

Show threadKevin Karhan Mar 25, 2025

@petersuber except @signalapp is #commervial as in #VVmoneyBurningParty, #centralized, #proprietary, #SingleVendor & #SingleProvider!

  • It really is that simple...
Show threadDieuMar 25, 2025
@kkarhan @petersuber @signalapp If you take "commercial" to mean something entirely different from its ordinary meaning then, yes, it is.
Show threadKevin Karhan Mar 25, 2025

@hllizi @petersuber @signalapp I guess people in the USA also see Scientology as a nonprofit...

#ArgumentInvalid

Show threadJoe ❌👑Mar 24, 2025
@petersuber I think they want no record. If they used official government communication channels records would be kept (and it wouldn't be possible to mess up and add a reporter to the chat). So they used Signal's disappearing message feature.
Show threadJon PlummerMar 24, 2025
@petersuber @signalapp
Relevant:
https://dodcio.defense.gov/Portals/0/Documents/Library/Memo-UseOfUnclassMobileApps.pdf
and
https://bsky.app/profile/bradheath.bsky.social/post/3ll5duc426k2v
Show threadEdward HasbrouckMar 24, 2025

@petersuber @signalapp -

(1) Violates Federal Records Act if records not retained (same as w/ Hillary's private email server), & (2) Because journalist was included in distribution group, privilege was waived and entire thread should be releasable under FOIA.

Who will #FOIA this first?

Show threadDudula the DudMar 24, 2025
@petersuber The fact Signal is allowing the US Fascist Government to use it has made me reconsider my use of the app. @signalapp
Show threadHobson LaneMar 24, 2025
@petersuber
Mishandling of classified correspondence can be framed as treason, a capital offence, especially if any of the referenced military operations go poorly (planes shot down, ships sunk).  Hegeseth and Trump now have a prebaked (framed) case (compromat) against anyone who didn't report receipt of those messages through the correct government channels, many of which have been sabotaged and made nonfunctional. Kangaroo court here we come.
@signalapp
Show thread[email protected]Mar 26, 2025

@petersuber @signalapp @glynmoody

- disappearing messages after 1 week -> illegal, law says communications must be preserved
- yes and yes
- nothing is ultimately resistent to breakage.

Lots of rethorical questions. My conclusion: these guys are either stupid and incompetent or so entitled that they think they can get away with anything.