May 14, 2024 at 10:41AM
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov criticized Signal, claiming it has ties to US government and lacks security. He referred to a City Journal report detailing Signal’s origins and its connections to the US government. However, there is no evidence to support his claims. Durov’s statements may be influenced by Telegram’s financial interests and are yet to be responded to by Telegram and Signal.
From the meeting notes, it is evident that Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has made several criticisms against the messaging service Signal. His remarks include allegations that Signal is not secure and has ties to US intelligence agencies. However, it’s important to note that there is no concrete evidence supporting Durov’s claims about Signal’s ties to the US government or its lack of security.
Durov’s criticisms seem to be inspired by a City Journal report detailing Signal’s origins and its ties to the US government, particularly through a grant from the US government’s Open Technology Fund. The report also mentions Signal Foundation’s current chair, Katherine Maher, and her previous involvement with the National Democratic Institute.
Durov’s comments also reference Signal’s encryption and its alleged lack of transparency, as well as claims about the app’s connection to court cases and media exposure. However, specific instances supporting these claims are not provided.
Concerning the reproducibility of Signal’s iOS version, Durov suggests that users cannot reproduce the app from the open source code, which he sees as a point of criticism. However, the difficulty of reproducing the iOS version is attributed to Apple-specific reasons, as noted by Johns Hopkins professor Matthew Green.
It’s also important to consider the context of Durov’s comments, as they come at a time when he has raised the possibility of Telegram going public with an IPO, potentially providing a financial incentive to criticize rival services.
Overall, the meeting notes outline Durov’s critical remarks against Signal, but they also highlight the lack of concrete evidence supporting these claims. It would be prudent to reach out to both Telegram and Signal for their comments on these allegations.