Re:Briar Project
by Watsons221 on Monday August 03, 2020 @07:47AM
(#24036495)
But in this case they do matter. When you give someone your phone number, you give them the possibility to contact you. And then it should be securely, if it's possible.
A check for "aliveness" of a number can be done without Signal. Just call and see if it is ringing. You get the same information. Your Signal profile name and picture, however, will only be shared when you accept it.
Although it lacks a notification in WhatsApp it's just as easy to check a phone number for 'aliveness'. When you select 'new conversation' you get a list of your contacts with a name (from your address book) and a picture and tagline.
This is all based on your address-book so it doesn't matter if the other party knows your number or not.
Many people might have my phone number, possibly from a long ago. But the number itself is pretty safe -- there is no way to tell if this phone is in use or not.
Signal breaks that assumption -- it immediately tells every other user that this number is alive, valid, and can be contacted right now.
This is a terrible idea to do by default, especially if one cannot disable it.