Watch out Stage 2
End-to-end encryption by default and a nonprofit structure limit the usual ad-driven extraction. Still, lock-in shows up through contact graph effects, OS notification dominance, and the difficulty of moving non-technical friends. Rated stage 2: good for users, with mounting switching costs rather than open predation.
- Since
- 2014
- Category
- Messaging
- VC-backed
- No
- Public
- No
- Website
- signal.org
The promise
Its first promise, and how much is kept · Scoring
100% kept
“Privacy that fits in your pocket”
Why it’s rated 2
The criteria it meets, with sources · Method
- Alignment 1 of 3
-
- A2 Nonprofit or community-run
- Lock-in 1 of 4
-
- L1 Network or reputation
- Extraction 0 of 7
- None
- Decline 0 of 3
- None
Result No extraction that meets the stage 3 test, and either some lock-in or no alignment criterion, so stage 2.
News signals
Sourced reporting, tagged by strategy
Mar 4, 2025
Signal details user growth and nonprofit sustainability model
Governance shift