On another note: I wonder how many of those VPN services are actually fronts of intelligence services.
This is why we need more [MPRs](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2024/11/17/where-are-...)
Their reliance on phone numbers for sign in, their release strategy, their attitude towards unofficial clients, their marketing of e2e encryption... all fits.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39445976
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29888228
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42788647
Also, Signal forces you to use Android or iOS while knowing that "Apple and Google confirm governments spy on users through push notifications ", https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38555810
Matrix is the actual solution.
The push notification payloads don't contain message/sender data. Signal also runs fine without Google services, which avoids any potential problem entirely.
They themselves contain the actual links and also relevant discussions. One more link: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/issues/13842
> The push notification payloads don't contain message/sender data.
The other metadata may be important too.
> Signal also runs fine without Google services, which avoids any potential problem entirely.
Not everybody is able to avoid Google services on their phone. I can't run it on a desktop (or GNU/Linux phone) without a connection to an Android phone.
I have never understood the unflinching attitude towards Signal relying on phone numbers.
The only weakness clear to me is the US could force them to release a compromised client. But then auditors would probably notice within weeks, or even days, and their reputation would be ruined forever.
If so great! More is better
https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/so-can-pfs-be-enabled-in...
According to this, it by default implements it for batches of 100 messages or something. And for slow-paced messaging, it is quite a lot. No idea why, maybe doing it somehow else would make the already bad performance even worse.
Related discussion: "Why Not Signal?"
As opposed to which ethical intelligence service that you have in mind ?
This is the bread and butter of "intelligence". Spying. Both enemies, allies & the populace.