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One of Signal's privacy advantages is that it not only encrypts your conversations, but gives you simple proof that those discussions are truly secret -- you just have to compare a set of digits or scan a QR code. Those safety numbers aren't always easy to use, however, and that has led to people inadvertently putting themselves at risk -- especially when they switch devices. Developer Open Whisper Systems is fixing that by altering how safety numbers work in terms of both simplicity and practicality.
To begin with, it's streamlining its QR code approach: you now need just a single scan for the conversation, and the code only includes the safety numbers instead of the phone numbers. That prevents people from inadvertently revealing phone numbers and potentially exposing the conversation. Would-be snoops who already know someone's digital fingerprint will recognize who you're talking to, but they won't read the chats themselves.
Also, new devices and app reinstalls won't always require that you approve someone again to keep the chat going. The latest Signal version has an optional "advisory mode" that will tell you when safety numbers have changed, but doesn't preclude you from talking to the other participant. It's turned off by default, but OWS may enable it by default for new installations if it works well.
The changes might be coming just in time. OWS tells American Public Radio's Marketplace that demand for the app jumped a whopping 400 percent after Donald Trump won the US presidential election. If you ask co-founder Moxie Marlinspike, the interest comes from people who are "less comfortable" with Trump having control of the US' far-reaching surveillance apparatus. In other words, they're worried that the President-elect might abuse his power to spy on critics. Is that rational? Not really (there are still some anti-abuse mechanisms in place), but that won't stop nervous internet users.