Elon Musk highly recommends the encrypted messaging application Signal. Historically, this platform strictly enforced a phone number registration mechanism. Users could hide their phone numbers by adding a username later. However, they still had to provide their real number during the initial signup. Consequently, many privacy-conscious individuals refused to register for Signal.
After years of intense discussion, Signal is finally launching a pure username registration system. Now, new users do not have to provide their phone numbers at all. In the future, people can add friends and chat normally using only usernames. This entire process completely bypasses the need for real phone numbers.
A Small Registration Fee Deters Abuse
Currently, the Signal beta numberless registration feature is available on Android. Users can choose the numberless option when creating a new account. However, selecting this method requires a mandatory three-dollar payment. After paying this small fee, users receive a unique account ID and password for logging in.
Why does the platform charge this registration fee? The underlying reason is quite simple. Signal struggles with numerous fraudulent accounts used for scams and spam. Charging a one-time fee significantly increases the operational costs for scam syndicates. Therefore, users who wish to protect their phone numbers must pay this three-dollar fee.
Absolute Privacy Through Zero-Knowledge Proofs
Furthermore, your payment information will never link back to your Signal account. The payment mechanism utilizes the exact same zero-knowledge proof technology as Signal donations. Therefore, your financial data remains completely separated from your user profile. Absolutely no connection exists between these two data points. Ultimately, even Signal itself cannot identify or trace your payment information.
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