They took an Israeli app, that is a modified version of signal. the modification BREAKS the one thing signal is excellent at (keeping your messages encrypted so that only the desired endpoints can read them), then distributed it within the US Gov.
This is insanity!
US's enemy's couldn't manufacture a better result themselves!
The messages do need to be recorded in a way that can be read by people other than the intended recipients due to federal record keeping laws. I’m curious if this particular app has been in use for a long time within the government and only recently became a target after it was accidentally revealed in that cabinet meeting photo.
It's not just the US gov - TeleMessage/Smarsh sell to everyone: banks, corporations etc. Their USP is that your employees get to "keep using their apps" but still comply with all the boring data retention stuff - instead of using a dedicated corporate chat app
What's interesting is that they also sell a hacked version of WhatsApp, and the Meta legal team haven't steamrolled them yet
> US's enemy's couldn't manufacture a better result themselves!
in the game of nationalist geopolitics, it's only a matter of time before a current strategic ally becomes an enemy. it's the natural order of nationalism at global scale.
They took an Israeli app, that is a modified version of signal. the modification BREAKS the one thing signal is excellent at (keeping your messages encrypted so that only the desired endpoints can read them), then distributed it within the US Gov.
This is insanity!
US's enemy's couldn't manufacture a better result themselves!