Privacy

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A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

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Whats the purpose for usernames on signal? (lemmy.today)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Been using signal for years and love it and got the majority of my contacts on to it. My question is how are usernames useful now? You still need to register with a phone number with signal to limit spam and bots afaik and I'm assuming you should protect your username just like you do your phone number anyways because spam, malicious files/messages, etc... What scenario is this addressing where an average person gives up their username to a stranger? The only one I can think of is online dating or other online interactions like on forums. Just seems this is just more tailored to the people who need to be pseudo-anonymous for whatever reason than an actual privacy feature. Even then for the anonymous people does that mean usernames will be able to be changed?

Tldr: Questioning what scenario does signal's new usernames address for the average Joe?

Edit: Just realized can be very useful for work relationships

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (6 children)

Remember that "average Joe" is not actually signals only focus, it's average journalist/ whistleblower/protestor living under a hostile government that may target them and their associates for what the rest of us "average joes" might consider basic free speech.

So a scenario might be, people use signal in Iran to arrange a mass protest on a specific day, word gets out and some of the organizers are arrested and pressured to give up their companions... They cooperate by unlocking phones, but police have no idea who the lead organizer "RndoUsr.40" is and the people arrested never met face to face so no amount of pressure would get them the organizers real ID

And yeah, for us average joes it's good for aquaintences and because names are easier to remember so it's handy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Another scenario, you are a us citizen and they lock you in for exposing your fascist country's war crimes

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