Former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden has said that Signal is more secure than WhatsApp, which is currently scrambling to retain its users after the privacy policy update sent shockwaves across the globe.
His comments came amid the controversy triggered by the Facebook-owned messenger over its decision to share data with the parent company.
“For those wondering about @SignalApp’s scaling, #WhatsApp’s decision to sell out its users to @Facebook has led to what is probably the biggest digital migration to a more secure messenger we’ve ever seen. Hang in there while the Signal team catches up..”
For those wondering about @SignalApp's scaling, #WhatsApp's decision to sell out its users to @Facebook has led to what is probably the biggest digital migration to a more secure messenger we've ever seen. Hang in there while the Signal team catches up. https://t.co/xNKz4aYUFJ
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 15, 2021
The messaging app got a massive spike in the number of downloads after WhatsApp announced earlier this month that it will share data with Facebook. It has since reversed the decision.
Following the announcement, millions of users switched to Signal putting its servers under stress.
Edward Snowden has expressed confidence in the messaging app due to its security and end-to-end encryption.
Earlier, when a Twitter user asked it Signal could be trusted, he responded saying, “here’s a reason: I use it every day and I’m not dead yet.”
Here's a reason: I use it every day and I'm not dead yet. https://t.co/Trhgqbwdpj
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 7, 2021
While responding to another question about the security features of Telegram and Signal, he explained that the consensus of the infosec community is that Telegram is significantly less secure than Signal.
“Signal is an independent non-profit with a $50m endowment—they can’t be meaningfully influenced by money for a very long time. Telegram is a standard private company,” he further added.
