Meredith Whittaker5d ago
Use Signal. We promise, no AI clutter, and no surveillance ads, whatever the rest of the industry does. <3
Show threadMelroy van den Berg

@Mer__edith didn't whatsapp also promise no ads?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/06/16/whatsapp-breaks-co-founders-promise-of-no-ads/

WhatsApp breaks co-founder’s promise with plans to introduce ads

Meta reveals plans as app’s AI feature suffers furious backlash

The Telegraph
Jun 17 at 12:27pmWeb
Show threadMelroy van den Berg4d ago
@Mer__edith so no. I don't trust your words. Hence I use Matrix.
Show threadDavid4d ago
@melroy @Mer__edith Signal already has ads in it, just not “surveillance” ads. The Signal ads are their donation requests. I’m ok with that, given that someone’s got to pay for things. I wish Signal would stop requiring a phone number, though. Perhaps they could offer that as a donation perk. Either way, between Signal, Matrix, and XMPP, it’s good to have options.
Show threadAlex Rock4d ago
@freeagent
Wait, weren't usernames introduced to Signal last year? According to this: https://signal.org/blog/phone-number-privacy-usernames/ , they did?
@melroy @Mer__edith
Keep your phone number private with Signal usernames

Signal’s mission and sole focus is private communication. For years, Signal has kept your messages private, your profile information (like your name and profile photo) private, your contacts private, and your groups private – among much else. Now we’re taking that one step further, by making your...

Signal Messenger
Show threadDavid4d ago
@pierstoval @melroy @Mer__edith Yes, but the account itself must be set up and tied to a phone number. One cannot have a Signal account without tying it to a phone number.
Show thread👊🇺🇸🔥4d ago
@melroy @Mer__edith Before Facebook bought them they did. But Facebook bought them, so ads in WhatsApp was an inevitability. They tricked 3B people.
Show threadMelroy van den Berg3d ago
@Avitus @Mer__edith exactly. And who are not saying the same can easily happen to Signal as well.
Show threadScotsBear 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿3d ago
@melroy @Avitus @Mer__edith

It can, but how likely is it? Are Signal looking to sell? Is anyone looking to buy?

Spreading fear about software based on groundless hypothetical scenarios is irresponsible doom-mongering. It's a risk -we can't ever discount the possibility- but it's currently insignificant risk, relying on past examples set by completely different people operating in a very different context, and an assortment of wet tea leaves in the bottom of a cup.

The original Whatsapp runners KEPT their promise: while they owned it there were no ads. That promise did not and could not extend past any point of sale (which at the time of the promise was not in the works in any sense). People believing that promises are somehow eternal and not subject to changing conditions need to re-evaluate.
Show thread👊🇺🇸🔥3d ago
@melroy @Mer__edith Signal is a charity and therefore has no profit-motive, unlike Facebook. Signal is also not run by an egomaniac, unlike Facebook.