One of the biggest issues when you search for a private messenger is to find one that can't link you to your real identity with all the costs that come with it. We want to socialize but also we want our privacy to be intact and sharing only what we can allow.
But not many private social messengers exist that are free of use without a phone number attached to it. We still use them but with a lot of reservations. You see, a phone number is something that by law is obligated to be registered with your real name and address by your local government. It's your identity and all what happens on it can be used against you in court if demanded.
Not only that:
- A mobile phone number is vulnerable to attacks and the SIM can be swapped and criminals get control of it.
Using mobile phone numbers still carry on considerable risk when we connect it to messengers but in the name of social interactions we end up closing eyes a bit and move on. That doesn't mean we don't care for our privacy at all, but until we find one private messenger that solve the problem we'll still use them to communicate.
This happens for example, with Signal but there's a good news for users of the messenger.
Signal is getting rid of phone numbers to get an account with them and solving one of the biggest issues since the private messenger come to light. The social private messenger is one of the best available in the market when it comes to privacy and used by private conscious people.
Cutting the need to link a phone number to use the product is a major milestone for the company and solve a problem that for years people have been accepting but not because they don't like their privacy but for convenience. But this comes with a catch:
Users that will choose to use Signal without phone number will have a fee to pay according to ReclaimTheNet.
According to ReclaimTheNet to use Signal without exposing users phone numbers, users will have a Key and an ID that will cut the need to use a potential world connector identity like a SIM card number. The actual prices and how the process will be done will be released as soon the Login without phone number Beta version is out.
FYI: The login service without a mobile phone number from Signal is in Beta and is for Android Users according to ReclaimTheNet.
Stay tuned for more updates.