Summary
U.S. officials are urging Americans to use encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp after a massive cyberespionage campaign, dubbed “Salt Typhoon,” targeted telecom giants AT&T, Verizon, and others.
Linked to Chinese hackers, the attack compromised call metadata, live phone calls, and sensitive surveillance systems used by law enforcement.
Officials warn the breach is unresolved and emphasize encryption to safeguard communications.
The hack is seen as a major intelligence-gathering effort rather than election interference.
What options are there? Signal is not viable, because it requires a special type of phone number to sign up, so can’t be used on desktop. WhatsApp is proprietary. Matrix took me 8 tries to find a server that would let me sign up, and then the client wouldn’t allow me to send private messages.
What’s the signal issue? I use signal on my desktop. Can you not create an account without a phone number? I thought they added usernames a while back.
Edit: nevermind, it appears you do still need to provide a phone number to sign up, even with the usernames and desktop clients.
I use Matrix for private messages. If you found a server that suits you, it might be worthwhile to try it with a different client.
Try SimpleX, it works. I only have 3 complains about it:
Last time I investigated it was a few months ago; it’s possible that it might have made some improvements since then.