Secure messaging service Signal is still ready to shut down its Canadian operations if Bill C-22, known as the Lawful Access Act, becomes law and is enforced.
23 hours
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- 9 hours
Signal is the only messaring app I keep installed and most of my social network is on it. It would be pretty painful if it disappears.
- 9 hours
most of my social network is on it
See that’s my challenge, most of my social network is still at the “posting my kids on social media is okay” level of internet survival instinct.
- 6 hours
I actually welcome it. It would be nice if the masses migrated to something more secure. Ideally one that doesn’t require a phone number
- 6 hours
The masses will migrate to WhatsApp, which is a step in the wrong direction in many ways. But Signal and WhatsApp both make it very easy to get started and find contacts, and that’s essential for anything most users will adopt. I don’t know of any Signal alternative that’s comparably secure and equally easy for a new user to adopt. Most truly secure messaging apps are quite difficult to get started with.
- 22 hours
Reminder that Signal is used by the Canadian Armed Forces, because it’s basically the only messaging app that complies with their security requirements.
- XLE@piefed.socialEnglish6 hours
I was going to say that a protocol that prioritizes permanence and data duplication first is bad for privacy, and that metadata leakage dangers are at an all-time high with the software… But it is the military so maybe those are desirable traits for them. They just aren’t desirable to me.
- 3 hours
That’s basically exactly it. Signal is used in scenarios where data being ephemeral is a benefit. For messaging that needs to be secure and lasting, they have DND email, which is extremely secure and can only be accessed from controlled machines in controlled environments.
- 22 hours
Thank you Signal for sticking with your foundational charter. Please continue to do so.
- 22 hours
If this happens it seems decentralized E2EE messaging would be the only option for Canadians who value privacy. And that stuff tends to be more awkward to use, and much harder to get people to use, than something as slick as Signal.
And it’s not just Signal. Major VPN providers are also threatening to quit Canada over this bill. Which will go perfectly with demands for online age verification (that is, ID tracking) and a crackdown on “piracy” sites. Many of the best things on the internet, amd what little online privacy we still have, could be taken away from Canadians in coming months or years.
And that’s before even considering what it means for low-budget operators of websites and services like the Fediverse, who may not be able to afford to comply. These laws always seem to squeeze the small players and favour the mega corporations. Not to mention that despite all Carney’s big talk and the clear threat the USA poses to Canada, the Canadian government’s actions seem determined to hand ever more Canadians’ data over to the USA.
- 5 hours
GPG/PGP
You can encrypt your communications and send the encrypted text over the service of your choosing. Like you said, it’s not painless but it’s something that governments can’t interfere with unless they start blocking Linux software repos and other software distribution sites. I’m pretty sure there are some messaging and email apps that already allow for the use of GPG/PGP so for some users it could be a simple as installing and sharing a key with their friends.
- 6 hours
Repeal all anti-terrorist legislation passed since the 90s. They have been used for nothing other than suppressing civil rights and have not prevented or solved terrorism. They will say ‘but then we will see a 9/11 every week’. No, we will not. Shut up
