Privacy

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Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

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Signal leaked random contacts to me! (feddit.de)

submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

101 comments fedilink hide all child comments

When I press on some message to forward it, it shows me Random usernames of contacts I don't know. And it even shows some Mobile Numbers I don't know. For example, one number starts with +964 that's Iraq. I'm from Europe tho. These contacts and numbers are from all over the place.

Edit: This only happens on Signal Desktop. If I try to forward a message on Android it only shows my Contacts. And none of these unkown ones.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (2 children)

It confirms that your number is valid and in use.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You can check that in the phone app too. Hit new message, enter the numer, hit "New message to... " and it'll tell you if it isn't known. There is rate limiting in that function, you'd need a lot of signal accounts to sweep all phone numbers.
You could also try signing up to signal using the number you want to check.

Neither way however you would get the signal name or profile pic of the number if I understand it correctly, that would get sent if they reply to you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You can check that in the phone app too.

The fact that the same issue is present on all platforms doesn't make it any better for those who oppose the method.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

It's a necessary feature if you are using phone numbers. Signal has to tell you if your message has any chance of being received.

I don't want to message someones number, to find out they never got my message and don't have signal a few days later, and I don't want to message them via whatsapp too, giving them a chance to use that when they have signal.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I mean, ever heard of a phonebook?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Yes. Where I live, having ones number listed in public directories is optional. So I'm not listed.