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Signal is one of the preferred messaging applications for those users who care about their privacy. Features like the end to end encryption, the use of PIN or the possibility of distorting the faces in the photos place it as a favorite in this section. What few knew is that Signal is also behind the encryption protocol in WhatsApp messages.

Although the two companies have had public spats over the Facebook privacy scandals, a few years ago they signed a brief partnership. Open Whisper Systems, the company behind Signal, announced in 2014 an agreement to implement its encryption protocol in WhatsApp. The company would integrate TextSecure into all messages, voice memos, files, and calls.

After a year of work, Signal confirmed that the operation was complete and all WhatsApp clients for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Nokia and BlackBerry would have end-to-end encryption. For its part, WhatsApp announced to its users that messages and calls were protected and that no one outside the chat could read or listen to them

Remember that warning message at the top of every chat? It was thanks to the association between both companies.

Signal considered all scenarios to prevent third parties from reading conversations, including the possibility of using an old version of the client to receive messages in plain text. WhatsApp users have the option to verify that chats with your contacts are encrypted. The customer uses QR codes scannable or a string of numbers shared by both sender and recipient.

Signal became popular thanks to Edward Snowden, the NSA analyst who leaked classified information. Snowden recommended using TextSecure and RedPhone, two Open Whisper applications that would later be merged into what we now know as Signal. Later, the app was suggested by movements such as Black Lives Matter or Elon Musk himself.

Unlike WhatsApp, Signal is open source and is governed by a foundation created by the hacktivist Moxie Marlinspike and WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton. The latter joined the project in February 2018 with a contribution of 50 million dollars and the idea of making private communication accessible to everyone.

Despite their collaboration almost a decade agoWhatsApp and Signal have had public fights. One of the most recent occurred in 2021, when the second exposed Facebooks practices for displaying targeted advertising. signal planned a campaign that showed how much information Meta collects from its users.

The idea was not well received by Mark Zuckerberg, who accused Signal of lying in order to gain publicity. Facebook did not allow Signal to display the ads and temporarily disabled your account in the social network. Although users could not see the advertising, the damage was done and Facebook was made a fool of itself.

Although Signal does not have the number of WhatsApp users, it is, together with Telegram, an alternative for those who want to protect their conversations. The next time you see the end-to-end encryption message in one of your WhatsApp chats, remember that this feature exists thanks to the work of Signal engineers.

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Did you know that Signal is to blame for the encryption used by WhatsApp? - Gearrice