Messaging app Signal introduces payment feature, enabling borderless encrypted asset transfers! Founder criticizes Telegram's privacy and data collection practices.

Signal, a highly private and secure encrypted messaging app, has recently opened up cryptocurrency payment functionality to global users after conducting tests in the UK last April. Users can simply enable the payment feature in the app to send MobileCoin (MOB) to specified recipients.

Introduction to Signal

Signal is a simple yet powerful instant messaging application that ensures communication security through end-to-end encryption technology supported by the open-source Signal Protocol, making it impossible for even the development company to read or eavesdrop on messages and calls.

Signal's newly introduced payment feature also prioritizes user privacy and security. Signal's Head of Communication, Jun Harada, stated:

Our goal is to keep data in the hands of users, not in ours; MobileCoin's design means that Signal cannot access users' balances, transaction history, or transfer amounts. If users wish to transfer funds to other apps or services, they can do so at any time.

However, privacy-centric cryptocurrencies like Monero or Zcash also emphasize privacy features. Signal chose MobileCoin primarily because it is designed for mobile devices, requiring minimal storage space on devices and offering fast transactions.

Using the Payment Feature

After downloading Signal from the mobile app store, users can find the Payments feature in the settings, which is currently in the testing phase.

By clicking on Activate Payments, users can enable the payment feature.

Currently, there are limited channels to purchase MobileCoin, with major exchanges like FTX, Bitfinex, and Hotbit offering it. Users can buy MobileCoin on exchanges and then transfer it to the app's wallet address to start using the payment feature.

Signal's Critique of Telegram

Telegram is one of the most commonly used messaging apps in the crypto industry, praised for its privacy protection and encryption design. However, Signal's founder, Moxie Marlinspike, candidly stated via Twitter at the end of last year: "There is no worse choice than Telegram in terms of privacy and data collection." Here are his insights.

Moxie Marlinspike believes that the focus of "encrypted messaging" should be: you should not have to trust anyone other than the people you communicate with.

In other words, messages sent by users are only visible to the user and the recipient, and group messages are visible only to group members.

However, Telegram stores users' contacts, groups, media, and every message sent and received in plain text on their servers. The app on users' phones is just a "view" of their servers. Telegram company can access all this content. Moxie Marlinspike conducted a test to verify this. If a user deletes Telegram and reinstalls it on a new phone, they can still see all contacts, groups, media, and messages.

While some may argue that this practice by Telegram is acceptable because they trust the app, from this perspective, Telegram may not belong in the category of "encrypted" messaging apps.

It's amazing to me that after all this time, almost all media coverage of Telegram still refers to it as an "encrypted messenger."

Telegram has a lot of compelling features, but in terms of privacy and data collection, there is no worse choice. Here's how it actually works:

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— Moxie Marlinspike (@moxie) December 23, 2021