
Signal issue: “Request for contacts uses creepy wording” - fulldecent
https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-iOS/issues/1354
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myself248
I installed it, and without consenting to sending any notifications or
whatever, I started getting Signal messages from long-forgotten people who
apparently had ME in THEIR contacts. It apparently notified THEM that I had
installed Signal, which I absolutely did not want.

This included a few folks who I wish to distance myself from in every way
possible, and have deleted from my contacts. Apparently they still had me in
theirs. This also included a few folks who I keep in my contacts only so I'll
recognize the number if it rings and know not to answer. Obviously the last
thing I want is to remind these people that this I still exist and this is my
current number.

The worst part was, for the ones who weren't in my contacts, I had to ask the
stranger "Umm, forgive me for asking, but who is this?" in order to ascertain
that, nope, I really didn't want to interact with them.

Shit shit shit shit.

Uninstalled it very quickly.

~~~
theprotocol
Wow, you'd think something like that would be opt-in, especially since
Signal's entire selling point is privacy and security. :/

That's a critical failure in my book.

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ThatGeoGuy
Isn't this wording just a misunderstanding on the users' behalf? You download
a messaging app, you want to message your friends, and it needs access to your
contacts. I don't see this as being suspicious. In other apps such as a music
player or photo viewer it may be suspicious, but a messaging app has a clear
need to know who you can connect with, and I think Whisper Systems saying "We
do not store your contacts..." should at least give them the benefit of the
doubt (if that's not enough, you can always read the source or speak to Moxie
yourself).

Seems like much ado about nothing.

~~~
1_2__3
Why does it need access to contacts? You say that like its fait accompli, like
its literally impossible to have a messaging app that doesn't access your
contacts.

~~~
brainfire
Moxie has written "people [...] expect contact discovery to be automatic in
their social apps." The only way for it to be automatic is to access your
contacts.

This app is designed for those people, not "cryptonerds" (his word), and this
is one of the concessions made to provide that ease of use.

~~~
1_2__3
Ah, because they want more customers. Got it.

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oridecon
I'm all for privacy and security, and I find our current situation a
nightmare, but I uninstalled Signal just a few minutes after installing it for
the first time. I just knew it's not going to be popular (I'm talking
messaging app scale). If I know that my family, co-workers and friends would
never use it then it's already dead to me.

Two reasons that killed it for me (Android):

\- It required so many permissions that I had to scroll down (old permissions
api?)

\- First app interaction was a blank screen and no straightforward way to find
my contact list or quickly send messages. Like 90% of the people I know would
uninstall it on the spot after that blank screen. They don't want to feel dumb
and they are "too busy to read a tutorial". I also couldn't find a single soul
using it.

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helthanatos
I don't use signal because there's no real benefit if others don't use it...
No one I know cares and I don't particularly care... Not like I text anything
important.

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fulldecent
Has anyone here installed Signal and NOT seen that popup?

~~~
buro9
Absolutely.

I'm on Android.

