• Signal's History and Growth: Ten years ago, WIRED published a story about RedPhone and TextSecure merging to form Signal. Since then, Signal has grown from a cypherpunk curiosity to a mainstream, encrypted communications phenomenon. Hundreds of millions of people have downloaded Signal, and billions more use its encryption protocols integrated into platforms like WhatsApp.
• Nonprofit Model and Leadership: Signal is a nonprofit funded by donations, with no investment, advertisements, or user information collection. Meredith Whittaker, Signal's president since 2022, is one of the world's most prominent tech critics. She worked at Google and led walkouts to protest its discriminatory practices and military contracts. She cofounded the AI Now Institute and sees her task as finding long-term funding to keep Signal alive.
• Signal's New Phase and Global Focus: Signal is now established critical infrastructure for various groups. Whittaker spent the summer in Paris focusing on the EU and growing the market. She is aware of shifting political sands and the need for jurisdictional flexibility. Signal's growth is influenced by events like elections, Big Tech fuckups, and organizations mandating its use.
• Addressing Challenges and Criticisms: Signal faces challenges such as the claim of vulnerabilities and the need to prove its security. Whittaker pushes back against the over-claiming of security researchers and is frustrated by state actors trying to move people away from private communication. She also addresses concerns about the cost of running a nonprofit and the need to balance growth with preserving the privacy model.
• Whittaker's Career and Views: Whittaker has a degree in rhetoric and English literature and was initially at Google as a consumer operations associate. She founded a research group and was exposed to the inner workings of the tech industry. Her concerns about AI grew as she learned more about the business model and its implications for surveillance and power. She cofounded the AI Now Institute and was involved in organizing walkouts at Google over the DOD contract.
• The Intersection of AI and Surveillance: Whittaker believes AI is a product of the mass surveillance business model and is intertwined with surveillance. She warns about the dangers of using AI for targeting and bombing, as seen in Gaza. She advocates for regulation to curb the power of these companies and create alternatives.
• Signal's Future and Impact: Signal is seen as a model for a new kind of tech ecosystem. It may expand to offer more services, but it will focus on its lane and support a teeming ecosystem of innovators. In 10 years, Signal is expected to be nearly ubiquitous, like a power company, providing a common sense alternative to Big Tech. Signal is proof that tech can be done differently and that the demand for privacy-preserving options is strong.