Why Signal ‘turned our architecture inside out’ for its latest privacy feature

Signal is adding optional usernames in its 7.0 client so users can initiate conversations without exposing their phone numbers, addressing risks in regions where numbers are tied to biometric or government IDs. President Meredith Whittaker explains the feature was engineered with a safety-by-design approach that avoids public handles, directories, and large-scale moderation by limiting how usernames are used and displayed, providing an added privacy layer for journalists, human rights workers, and others.