Elon Musk Drives Massive User Surge to Signal Over WhatsApp Privacy Policy
Elon Musk urges his followers to switch to Signal, triggering a massive influx of new users that temporarily overwhelms the messaging app's verification systems. The recommendation comes as WhatsApp faces intense backlash over a new policy that integrates user data sharing with Facebook.
Encrypted messaging app Signal experiences a massive wave of new sign-ups after Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly tells his Twitter followers to use the service. The sudden surge in user registration temporarily delays the verification codes needed to activate new accounts, prompting the nonprofit behind Signal to assure users they are working with carriers to resolve the slowdown.
Musk issues his endorsement as a direct response to a controversial privacy update from rival messaging app WhatsApp, which Facebook owns. The new policy mandates that users agree to share their data with Facebook before a February deadline, sparking widespread concern over digital privacy and drawing sharp criticism from the tech community.
Despite the public outrage, Facebook maintains that the policy update brings no practical changes to private chats between friends and family members. Instead, the company explains that the updated terms primarily govern how businesses store and collect data during their commercial interactions with WhatsApp users.