Use Signal
Signal isn’t suitable for military-grade security, but it’s vastly better than Messenger or SMS, both easily surveilled. Apple’s chat is better, but still owned by a big company whose interests may shift, and integrated AI raises questions about privacy.
Install Signal, learn to use it, and begin building your connections there.
How to do it:
Signal was built to protect you. It has asserted in court filings that the company can only access two pieces of information: when you created your account, and when you last connected to Signal. They can’t turn over your chat logs, even if they want to.
Signal is what most activist groups use, so even if you aren’t part of a group, getting familiar with Signal prepares you if you ever want to join, and it also provides cover for others.
Don’t think you have anything to protect? Consider the things that were clearly protected just a few years ago and aren’t now. Traveling for reproductive care, being a legal non-citizen, and civil disobedience are just a few of the once-safe things that have been criminalized. If none of this applies to you, join Signal anyway: normalizing use protects everyone. The more phones with Signal installed, the less interesting it will be at border crossings.
You can get started by simply installing it and connecting with other friends who use it. To learn more, or become an advanced user, read this Electronic Frontier Foundation guide:
