WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton took over as Signal’s interim chief executive officer from Moxie Marlinspike, founder of the messaging app, on January 10. While Marlinspike will remain on the board, the search for the new CEO is on.
The change comes a year after Signal saw huge momentum in its adoption. It was one of the biggest gainers when Meta-owned, then Facebook, messaging platform WhatsApp announced changes to its privacy policy on January 6, 2021.
The app saw a surge in downloads as people around the world, including India, looked for alternatives.
Acton, executive chairman and co-founder, Signal Foundation, spoke to Moneycontrol during that time. In the interview, Acton said privacy is not a fad and, for people who value it, Signal represents a viable alternative.
According to him, while Signal is run by grants and donations, people who value privacy enough will be able to sustain it, and that could drive an alternative to ad-based business models.
Here is what according to Acton makes Signal a viable alternative:
‘Privacy is not a fad’
Privacy is not a fad. People have always cared about privacy, and this giant movement that has been happening for the past week is proof. When presented with a viable choice, people choose to protect their privacy. They want to choose who owns their data instead of being told their only option is to comply.
When speaking about India, we have become their most popular app for a reason. It’s because we share their sentiment around wanting better privacy.
Signal doesn’t want to know who you message, the content of your images, searches, group details, or what you buy.
On sustaining user interest, and being acquired
Signal is an independent nonprofit, and the team at Signal is committed to the mission of developing open-source privacy technology that protects free expression and enables secure global communication.
Signal is exclusively supported by grants and donations. We believe that millions of people value privacy enough to sustain it, and we’re here to demonstrate that there is an alternative to the ad-based business models that exploit user privacy.
We are not tied to any major tech companies, and can never be acquired by one either.
On remaining not-for-profit
No ads, no trackers, no data. When a company is for-profit, their motivations strive towards gaining more profit. Signal is an independent nonprofit, and our motivation is to protect people and help maintain their privacy.
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