This Word Means: Signal

In theory, all private conversations and calls made by its users cannot be accessed by the service provider. The app collects limited user data. It also has a feature that allows for automated message deletion within a certain time frame. All a user has to do is register with their phone number.

Why now?

On Monday (March 24), Editor in Chief of The Atlantic magazine, Jeffrey Goldberg, said he was accidentally added to a group chat on the app with top leaders of the Trump administration.

In an essay , he described how he became privy to sensitive communications about the government’s plans to attack the Houthis of Yemen earlier this month. The group chat included US Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and National Security Adviser (NSA) Michael Waltz.

How did such a thing even happen?

Goldberg recounted that he received a connection request on the app from Waltz on March 11, and accepted it. Two days later, he was added to the “Houthi small group” on Signal.

While he doubted its authenticity and suspected a larger disinformation campaign was at play, he received classified information about the details of the attack and the targets on the chat. Following news reports of the first attack on Yemen, Goldberg realised the group chat was, in fact, very real.

Why is this a big deal?

According to a report in The Washington Post, sensitive information, including top secret military plans discussed in the group chat, should have been relayed in person in a Secure Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) devoid of the use of any electronic devices. Alternately, a secure official communication channel should have been designated for the task.

The use of Signal bypasses a 2023 memo issued by the US Department of Defense, which had designated Signal as an “unmanaged” messaging app. Unmanaged apps are those “NOT authorized to access, transmit, process non-public DoD information.” Managed apps, as designated by the memo, run on enterprise management systems, which “can enforce controls on the application and data in a way that can reduce the risk of data compromise or exposure/spillage of data to unmanaged applications.”

The use of Signal also exposes officials to the threat of hacks. In February, Mandiant, a Google-owned security firm, reported that Russian-linked spies tried to hack into the Signal accounts of Ukrainian military officials by posing as trusted Signal contacts.

Since Signal cannot be downloaded on official devices, personal devices were likely used. The issue of data storage also matters: Signal, like other messaging apps, can be accessed on other devices, allowing data to be stored locally on them. These devices face the risk of hacking and malware, regardless of the app’s own security.

In Goldberg’s words, “The information contained… could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility.”