After Elon Musk make the suggestion to leave WhatsApp and join Signal, the Signal messaging app received a huge number of users this Thursday (07/01). According to the company, the unexpected increase caused delays in verifying contacts.
Millionaire Elon Musk, one of the founders of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla Motors, made a series of criticisms of Facebook, on his Twitter account last week, claiming that the social network had its share of blame for the invasion of pro-Trump protesters at the American Capitol. In one of his posts, he allegedly suggested that the messaging app most popular in the world would not be safe.
Use Signals
- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 7, 2021
The allegation is related to the recent update of WhatsApp's terms of use that declare the sharing of user information with other Facebook services, including its social network and Instagram. Anyone who does not accept the new terms will have their account suspended from February 8.
Too many people at the door
Although it did not disclose the exact numbers, the alternative mentioned by Musk reported that the allegations against WhatsApp had an effect, so that Signal began to receive an unexpected number of users. On its Twitter, the encrypted messaging company thanked the new users and said that the verification codes for activating accounts could suffer from the delay of so many requests at the same time, but that its developers were already working to solve the problem.
Verification codes are currently delayed across several providers because so many new people are trying to join Signal right now (we can barely register our excitement). We are working with carriers to resolve this as quickly as possible. Hang in there.
- Signal (@signalapp) January 7, 2021
Signal claims to be a non-profit initiative that ensures the protection of users' privacy through an end-to-end protected conversation system. In addition to Elon Musk, other technology figures have also spoken out in favor of the app, such as cyber activist Edward Snowden.
Signal is available for use in browsers and for download on devices Android e iOs.
Street: The Verge