I'll give up metadata to iMessage or to WhatsApp rather than deal with the inability to backup Signal. Literally, this is the biggest issue I've had trying to convert people to Signal. Now I'm converted out. I realize there are challenges but local back up should be an option!
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Replying to @zeynep
You can run Signal on a laptop in parallel to a mobile device, so maybe that can be the backup?
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Replying to @zittrain
I can, but nothing on a laptop is really really secure. I'll just get off Signal, and use something less secure in the meantime.
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This is the difficulty of security and real-world usability. Even Signal, which excels at the win-wins, can't currently find a way to make backups work well and not negate the whole security model at the same time.
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But
@whispersystems can let people back up, even insecurely, on a contact-by-contact basis. I used to use Signal for everything. I could choose which ones to back up. Now, I'm off Signal and for a long time this has been why I cannot convert people to Signal.2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes -
At-risk people need ordinary people to use Signal (people cannot install a "security-only" app in at-risk nations) and ordinary people cannot have *zero* options for backing up anything. Warn people backups are insecure and let them back up.
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That's a reasonable proposal, though I think it's also reasonable to say that this would weaken security for everyone. Like, if you know that your contacts can easily back up to Google drive unencrypted, do you still think of Signal as secure?
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Don't get me wrong, I am frustrated by lack of backups on Signal, too, even as I understand its tradeoffs. It leads me to believe that we probably need different messaging apps for different contexts/needs.
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There is *zero* solution to what your contacts will do. Also if that's the problem, treat it like disappearing messages. A conversation can be backed up if *every* contact has enabled backup. Done. Literally, I'm off Signal till this is solved. I've had enough.
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I think you solved your first sentence's problem with your third sentence :) Nice. I understand your decision, though, it makes sense. To me, this type of problem is the reason why I'm not so quick to demand that everyone add e2e encryption. To truly solve it well is very hard.
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Your contacts can still screenshot. Still you can make backup a mutual option. I'm out there trying to get people to use Signal to tell their partner at the grocery shop whether they should buy eggs! If you don't have that kind of usability, you cannot protect at risk users.
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