How Signal Made the Phone Number Optional, and What the Zero-Knowledge Proof Actually Protects
Signal has long had a privacy contradiction at its core: the most secure mainstream messenger still required a phone number to sign up. That number became a de facto identity anchor, linkable to you even if you never shared it with contacts. Signal has now added an optional way around that, and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are part of it, though not in the way most coverage suggests.…
Signal has recently introduced an optional method for users to register on the platform without providing a phone number, following years of community demand for this feature. The new registration process utilizes zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to protect user privacy, ensuring that the payment made during sign-up cannot be linked to the account created.
Users can now register on Android devices in the beta version of Signal Android 8.28.0, which requires a one-time in-app purchase of 3 USD, with price variations across different countries. The zero-knowledge proof is used to verify the payment without revealing the phone number or any identifying information about the user. This development aims to provide a more secure and private messaging experience by eliminating phone numbers as a means of identification.
The implementation of ZKPs ensures that the payment cannot be traced back to the user's account, adding an extra layer of protection to the user's privacy.
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