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this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2025
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I read it and don't understand. Why is this better than Signal? Or the 500 other secure file/messaging protocols?
Jabber seemed to work perfectly for Snowden...
Because analysing network traffic wouldn't allow an adversary to see what you're sending with Signal, but they could still tell you're sendig a secure message.
What the Guardian is doing is hiding that secure chat traffic inside the Guardian app, so packet sniffing would only show you're accessing news.
How are they analyzing network traffic with Signal? It's encrypted. And why does it matter if they know you're sending a message? Literally everyone using Signal is sending a message.
It isn't.
It's a red flag to those who think you're going to share internal info.
Or it's just a perfectly normal thing that billions of people do every day?
Except that signal is blocked by many companies Mobile Device Management. The one that don’t can typically see who has the app installed. This provides a new clever way to maybe whistleblow
Use a different device? Use Molly? Use any number of other apps? What's to stop the MDM from blocking The Guardian app?
Why would you expect any form of privacy on a device you don't own?
I never said I did?
Not "you" necessarily, "one".
I bring it up because you mentioned company MDM blocking signal. The fact that company MDM is active indicates its a company device (if it's not that's an entirely different conversation).
So why would one expect privacy on a device they don't own?
Well more I’m pointing to the idea that you may be trying to whistleblow on said company and this may provide a more succinct way to do so
I get that, but it's more logical to me that of I'm going to whistleblow on a company to not use one of their devices to do it. That way it doesn't matter what apps are or are not secure, you're not using their device that can potentially track you.
https://www.laquadrature.net/en/2023/06/05/criminalization-of-encryption-the-8-december-case/
For France, Your a terroriste if you use signal
Then you're also a terrorist if you use The Guardian 🤷♂️
I dont' know, do you have sources about this ? Or are you imagining thing and deciding it is true ?
Timing of messages. They can't tell what you send, but can tell when
No they can't.
E: if someone wants to provide evidence to the contrary instead of just downvoting and moving on, please, go ahead.
It's called traffic analysis
It's called encryption
Packet data has headers that can identify where it's coming from and where it's going to. The contents of the packet can be securely encrypted, but destination is not. So long as you know which IPs Signal's servers use (which is public information), it's trivial to know when a device is sending/receiving messages with Signal.
This is also why something like Tor manages to circumvent packet sniffing, it's impossible to know the actual destination because that's part of the encrypted payload that a different node will decrypt and forward.
How exactly do you think encryption prevents the analysis of seeing when an encrypted message is sent? It feels like you're trying to hand-waive away by saying "encryption means you're good!"
Cyber security is not my thing, but my understanding is that you'd still see network traffic - you just wouldn't know what it says.
The entire point of the article in the OP is that you can send secured messages with The Guardian app. 🤦♂️
Yes, the guardian app allows you to send encrypted messages through their app to their journalists. 100,000 people check the news, one person is whistleblowing. That one person's messaging traffic is mixed in with the regular news data, so it's not possible to tell which of those 100,000 people are the source. Signal messages travel through their servers, so anyone inspecting packets can see who is sending messages through signal, just not what the messages contain. Thats a big red arrow pointing to only people sending encrypted messages. With this implementation, those people are mixed in with everyone else just reading news or even just having the app on their device.
There are many many more people using Signal to yell at their kids to do the dishes or some shit. Not whistleblowing.
Everyone is using encrypted messages...
I'm sorry you can't grasp this concept. I guess study a different subject.
I run a cryptography forum
Encryption doesn't hide data sizes unless you take extra steps
Here's a relevant stack exchange question. Regarding what an ISP can learn. Of note, everybody is ceding that the ISP can tell you're using signal, and they've moved on to whether or not they'd be able to fingerprint your usage patterns.
Not my specialty, but signals end to end encryption is akin to sealing a letter. Nobody but the sender and the recipient can open that letter.
But you still gotta send it through the mail. That's the network traffic analysis that can be used.
Here's an example of why that could be bad.
For one, ease of access. Say you’re trying to break a story, who are you going to message with signal? Because you’re going to need to get that contact info somehow right?
Snowden is permanently stranded in Russia. That’s not exactly a great example of an anonymous source.
...The Guardian?
Use your browser? These are strange questions.
Did you notice that I used the past tense?
Messaging protocols already resemble the frameworks that come out from time to time. And their effectiveness is due to the fact that they require a certain quota of users.
It's just a secure messaging app with a direct line to Guardian journalists. How to use 911 or special numbers when you're not feeling well.