The head of the Signal app has criticized plans in the EU to allow messengers to have backdoors to enable automatic searches for criminal content. Signal is considered one of the most secure messengers.
Shocker. I do however wonder what prevents someone from downloading and installing the apk to their phone. Am I wrong in believing this is a real way to bypass them leaving a market?
If you are running Android Open Source Project without Google Play Services, Google has no control. However, manufacturers could be pressured into locking bootloaders and then no one gets AOSP or GrapheneOS at all.
Doesn’t Signal work with phone numbers? They will probably block every EU number from accessing the service to protect themselves legally. Maybe you could use something like jmp.chat to circumvent that? Probably need a VPN as well to mask your IP. In any case, it will decimate the user base, so you’re left chatting with yourself anyway.
To my understanding, you just need a phone number to make an account. I think it can be a burner number. But then if you ever lose access to the account you can’t recover it.
Shocker. I do however wonder what prevents someone from downloading and installing the apk to their phone. Am I wrong in believing this is a real way to bypass them leaving a market?
google.
https://www.androidsage.com/2025/08/26/google-blocks-sideloading-of-android-apps/
So first step is installing an alternative phone OS then.
yeah, except according to my understanding of the topic, there is not much adult alternatives. graphene will have the same problem.
If you are running Android Open Source Project without Google Play Services, Google has no control. However, manufacturers could be pressured into locking bootloaders and then no one gets AOSP or GrapheneOS at all.
You can move to WiFi tablets then. The hostile network boundary would then begin on your MiFi router.
Doesn’t Signal work with phone numbers? They will probably block every EU number from accessing the service to protect themselves legally. Maybe you could use something like jmp.chat to circumvent that? Probably need a VPN as well to mask your IP. In any case, it will decimate the user base, so you’re left chatting with yourself anyway.
To my understanding, you just need a phone number to make an account. I think it can be a burner number. But then if you ever lose access to the account you can’t recover it.