Submitted 11 months ago by u_tamtam@programming.dev to technology@lemmy.world
https://signal.org/blog/signal-is-expensive/
The cost of these registration services for verifying phone numbers when people first install Signal, or when they re-register on a new device, currently averages around $6 million dollars per year.
That’s pretty crazy. Wonder which third party providers they are using. Maybe the identity verification methods we have today is due for some significant changes?
Yeah, I wasn't expecting that to be the bulk of their spending. Maybe they should remove the need for phone numbers now they removed SMS.
SMS is dead, so they will need to move on eventually. Most carriers are moving towards high data plans now. I mainly use it for verification, although I’d rather use more secure methods.
They are working on that! :)
identity verification is trash anyways, we don't need it
The article says it’s to limit spam. I don’t feel platforms like Lemmy (or the other platform) are particularly spammy though. On the other hand I get a lot more spam on Whatsapp, even though it’s phone number bound.
Signal is pretty good in terms of limited spam, but I’m curious about the impact if they A/B test the removal and see how much spam would arise. Obviously that could only be implemented after they remove the need to add contact via phone number.
I would never have guessed that an app like signal would spend almost 20 million in salaries. I wonder what is the salary of the executives.
Crazy how decentralization improves both, but they are vehemently against that. I trust them in terms of privacy, but their insistence on centralization, blocking third party apps, and removing SMS, I’m not a fan of the direction they’ve gone recently.
u_tamtam@programming.dev 11 months ago
A more accurate title could be “Privacy is Priceless, but Centralization is Expensive”: with the era of cheap money coming to an end, grows a lot of uncertainty regarding the future of some large internet services. Signal is no exception and this emphasises the importance of federated alternatives (XMPP, fediverse, …) for the good health of the future internet.
Goronmon@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Decentralization is expensive too judging by some of the sentiment I’ve seen around running Mastodon and Lemmy/Kbin instances.
balder1991@lemmy.world 11 months ago
Right? People simply expect someone else to pay the bills.
BaroqueInMind@kbin.social 11 months ago
At some point society needs to figure out how we can subsidize the costs of data storage, remote servers, and provision of internet to people for free.
comfydecal@infosec.pub 11 months ago
Have any suggestions for “normies” on iPhone and Android that aren’t Signal?
Uranium3006@kbin.social 11 months ago
matrix comes to mind, get element on iOS and Android (Fdroid or play store)
Kbin_space_program@kbin.social 11 months ago
E.g. SMS isn't secure, but it is free as it uses downtime in overhead cell channels.