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   Martin (mshelton@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Nov-2024 07:47:28 JST Martin

   • Signal

   Okay, so you're using @signalapp for encrypted messaging. Cool. It's a good time to use usernames instead of a phone number to talk to people. That and lots more about how to make the most of Signal's security features in here: https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/locking-down-signal/

   • Embed this notice
     Martin (mshelton@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Nov-2024 07:47:27 JST Martin

     in reply to

     End-to-end encryption only helps if you are talking to people who you trust. The "ends" — the devices used by people in conversation — really need to be trustworthy. Keep those devices up to date, and take seriously the relationships you're going to include in these conversations.

   • Embed this notice
     Martin (mshelton@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Nov-2024 07:47:27 JST Martin

     in reply to

     Signal now supports an option to send links to calls. This could be a very big deal, because you don't even need to join a group chat to join a call any more. https://signal.org/blog/call-links/

     alcinnz repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Martin (mshelton@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Nov-2024 07:47:27 JST Martin

     in reply to

     Signal's new "call links" feature has important implications:
     - This makes it easier to start a call with other users (including strangers)
     - You don't have to give away your identity to anyone in conversation
     - Again, this all underscores the need for trusted networks, and vetting who is included

   • Embed this notice
     Martin (mshelton@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Nov-2024 07:47:28 JST Martin

     in reply to

     You can always change the username later. It's important to know that the username is just for beginning a conversation, and not the same as the display name someone sees in the chat. More on all the Signal identifiers here: https://freedom.press/digisec/blog/signal-identifiers/

   • Embed this notice
     Martin (mshelton@mastodon.social)'s status on Tuesday, 12-Nov-2024 07:47:28 JST Martin

     in reply to

     This sounds simple, but the implications of Signal usernames can't be understated. No one knows who you are unless you tell them, or they have your number already. This underscores the importance of building networks of trust. You still need established channels for people to prove who they are.