undefined | Better HN

0 pointsniksakl9y ago0 comments

What you say makes blocking Signal pointless.

If they blocked Signal just because it was less of a trouble to block compared to WhatsApp, then all the people that were on Signal will easily switch to WhatsApp... What you have at this point, is a government paying the price of blocking a less popular messaging app they cannot control, while the people they are after can just switch to a MASSIVELY used messaging app the gov can also not control and additionally, is too expensive to block.

If this was the case,it would actually work against the gov. Do not underestimate gov authorities, they are not THAT naive. If they had not blocked Signal at all, they could at least track Signal users and at least have that information: that this small group of people (Signal users), contains the group of people they are after. They could have their honey pot there. Mixing the "dangerous" Signal userbase with the chaotic massive userbase of WhatsApp makes no sense, unless you really have WhatsApp on your side.

I hope you understand what I am trying to say.

edit: rephrasing

0 comments

JamisonM9y ago

I wouldn't overestimate government authorities either. A report on a person of interest crosses the desk of a deputy minister that says the person uses Signal could be enough to get the application blocked in the country.

Elected officials and political appointees demand action on things that are counter to their interests all the time, the people that execute those orders (if they appreciate that the order is counter-productive in the first place) have to decide what measures are worth fighting and which ones are not.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse