Now that Elon Musk is involved with the U.S. Government, any updates to X (formerly Twitter) carry more weight than in the past. The most recent development impacts users of the messaging app Signal.
No More Posting Signal Links on X
As of at least Sunday, February 16, links to signal.me have been blocked on Musk’s X. These links allow users to reach out to others directly on Signal, and blocking them significantly reduces the likelihood of making those connections.
The concern was first raised by security researchers at Mysk and later reported by Disruptionist. The restrictions impact public tweets, private messages, and even user profiles.
Users on X are having mixed experiences when trying to share Signal links. Many are encountering different error messages, including ones related to “spam and malicious activity” and “identified by X as potentially harmful.”
When I tried to post a Signal link myself, I didn’t even get an error message informing me that the tweet failed to send. Instead, my tweet kept reverting to drafts no matter how often I clicked “Post.”
For those unfamiliar, Signal is a privacy-focused messaging app that emphasizes security. It’s open-source and features robust end-to-end encryption, ensuring that your conversations remain private.
Signal: A Popular Tool for Whistleblowers
Signal has become particularly appealing to journalists as it allows them to receive tips without exposing the identities of their sources or the sensitivity of the information shared. This includes whistleblowers who may not feel comfortable disseminating information in more public forums. Therefore, the timing of X’s decision to block Signal links is concerning.
Elon Musk’s involvement with the U.S. Government, particularly as the leader of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), has raised eyebrows. He’s been restructuring various federal agencies, and some of the thousands of workers who’ve lost their jobs have turned to Signal to share their stories or expose misconduct.
Could this be a coincidence, or is there a connection? While we can’t definitively say, the timing is certainly questionable.
Fortunately, there is still a workaround: Signal users can currently share their Signal usernames on X, allowing anyone interested to copy and paste them into the Signal app for contact.
