@e2aff28e 

Because of all the things some can do if they have your cell number, 
Even if #Signal now does not link your phone number to any transaction, looking at the sudden TOS changes of the past months in BigTech (e.g. Zoom's on 04/01/23) is a clear warning sign that things can change with sudden notice. Lock-in is very high for a messenger app.
Also, in another convo, we were discussing the problematic use of Google services by Signal, which I cannot reproduce, as I am not a tech person. 

 @e2aff28e 

It its quite a convo and I hope you get the correct entry point with this link:

https://mstdn.social/@distopico/110989995610727520

https://files.mastodon.social/media_attachments/files/111/069/119/222/688/294/original/01f2381ab081b650.png 

 @28629284 Thanks ! 

 @e2aff28e 

Very welcome.

Also, the two "nerdy" alternatives given are probably even better (XMPP, Matrix,) regarding safety.
It never caught pn and security awareness in the general public is next to non-existent.
There are also interesting Swiss and French solutions w/o any significant international reach.
Better to have a 90/95% solution and use it than having none at all.
This is why I think pushing #Threema is the best compromise, though #Signal has merits, too. 

 @28629284 @e2aff28e 

Threema is a for-profit corporation, whereas Signal is not.
Threema is proprietary, whereas Signal is not.
Threema is a subscription service, whereas Signal is free.

And as for security, Both apps are secure end-to-end. But the phone number is indeed an identifier in Signal. But rest assured... if the NSA has you on their radar, they will have the resources to get to you regardless of what software you're using.