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Ask HN: Is there a way to keep phone contacts from seeing that you're on Signal?

16 points by HoppedUpMenace ↗ HN
I think its a bit annoying that there are people who get notified and vice-versa that someone is on Signal. If there is any way to avoid this, that would be great, otherwise what other services are out there that are similar but don't let the world know you exist without you letting them know first?

7 comments

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verdverm
Moxie said no because he wants Signal to have this particular viral feature.

Joe Rogan asked him this same question when Moxie was on his podcast

natdempk
The other part of the answer from the podcast was that it is technically possible due to the design of Signal for just about anyone (?) to look up whether or not a phone number has connected to the network, so in addition to the virality aspect they'd prefer to have this be more explicitly known by users rather than hidden but technically possible.

I don't remember the exact situation around the contact discovery aspect, whether it requires a mutual contact upload for discovery, or if is just generally available to anyone with your phone number, so please don't take this comment as verbatim on the technical details. This was just the gist of what he said.

verdverm
I do recall that now, that even if announcement was not done, search was still possible. The core problem is that your phone number is you ID. Not a fan of that personally
scotuswroteus
Better: is there a way the FTC can require Signal to advertise this feature in a clear and conspicuous manner anytime it uses phrases on its website like, say, "An unexpected focus on privacy, combined with all of the features you expect."
ViViDboarder
It only does that if they already have your contact info. If they already have that info, don’t they already know you exist? It won’t reveal your name, only the info they already have in their contacts.
sen
I’ve got work acquaintances and professional acquaintances in my contacts that I don’t necessarily want knowing my Signal identity. I’ve also got people saved in my contacts purely so I know not to answer that number.

The entire point of Signal is supposed to be privacy/security. The way it telegraphs to anyone in my contacts that I’m on Signal is a big reason I stopped using Signal. It’s… slimy.

HoppedUpMenace
This is actually a big deal for me and probably one of the main reasons why I asked the question. Facebook did this exact same thing in the past (not sure if its changed) where even if you don't give them permission to scan your contacts, they will be suggested as "people you might know". I deleted Facebook recently and I was hoping Signal would at least try to be better than the underhandedness of Facebook, but that doesn't appear to be the case.