Over the past week, tens of millions of people have downloaded Signal and Telegram, making them the two hottest apps in the world
The messaging app Signal, which allows messages to be sent with "end-to-end encryption," on a phone in Shanghai, China, Feb. 26, 2019. The encrypted messaging services Telegram and Signal have become the world’s hottest apps over the last week, driven by growing anxiety over the power of the biggest tech companies and privacy concerns; Image: Giulia Marchi/The New York Times
Neeraj Agrawal, a spokesman for a cryptocurrency think tank, has typically used the encrypted messaging app Signal to chat with privacy-minded colleagues and peers. So he was surprised on Monday when the app alerted him to two new users: Mom and Dad.
“Signal still had a subversive shine to it,” said Agrawal, 32. “Now my parents are on it.”
On Telegram, another encrypted messaging app, Gavin McInnes, founder of the far-right Proud Boys group, had just announced his return. “Man, I haven’t posted here in a while,” he wrote on Sunday. “I’ll be posting regularly.”
And on Twitter, Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, also weighed in last week with a two-word endorsement: “Use Signal.”
Over the past week, tens of millions of people have downloaded Signal and Telegram, making them the two hottest apps in the world. Signal allows messages to be sent with “end-to-end encryption,” meaning no one but the sender and receiver can read its contents. Telegram offers some encrypted messaging options, but is largely popular for its group-based chat rooms where people can discuss a variety of subjects.
©2019 New York Times News Service