Signal's Security Claims Under Scrutiny Amid Chatroom Blunder

Signal's president defended the app's security after top Trump administration officials mistakenly included a journalist in a private chat about U.S. military actions. Despite the slip-up, Signal is hailed for its privacy features compared to WhatsApp. U.S. downloads of Signal showed significant growth in early 2025.

Signal's president, Meredith Whittaker, defended the app's robust security features on Wednesday following an incident where Trump administration officials mistakenly added a journalist to a private encrypted chat discussing military strategies against Yemen's Houthis.

Whittaker did not directly address the error, which has been labeled a national security breach by Democratic lawmakers, but highlighted Signal as the "gold standard in private communications" compared to WhatsApp. She emphasized its open-source, non-profit status and its implementation of end-to-end encryption.

Signal's popularity continues to rise, with U.S. downloads increasing by 16% in early 2025 compared to the last quarter, and 25% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Whittaker credited its growth to users seeking alternatives to WhatsApp's metadata collection practices.

(With inputs from agencies.)