Signal Touts 'Gold Standard' Encryption As Trump Administration Leak Spotlight Intensifies: 'Our Code Is Regularly Scrutinized'

Signal, an open-source platform that is similar to Meta Platforms, Inc.'s META WhatsApp, is defending its reputation as the "gold standard" in encrypted messaging after an internal Pentagon advisory and an accidental leak of classified Trump-era war plans reignited concerns about the platform's security.

What Happened: On Monday, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, reported that he was mistakenly added to a Signal group chat discussing highly sensitive military operations.

The group allegedly included top Donald Trump administration officials such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Vice President JD Vance.

National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes reportedly confirmed the authenticity of the Signal group to Goldberg.

See Also: Trump Administration Officials Face Lawsuit Over Signal Leak: ‘War Planning Doesn’t Belong In Emoji-Laden Disappearing Group Chats’

Compounding the controversy, NPR published a Pentagon advisory memo labeling Signal a high-value target to intercept information. Signal responded swiftly, calling reports of vulnerabilities misinformation.

"One piece of misinfo we need to address is the claim that there are ‘vulnerabilities' in Signal. This isn't accurate," the company wrote on X.

"The memo used the term ‘vulnerability'… but it had nothing to do with Signal's core tech. It was warning against phishing scams targeting Signal users."

Signal went on to add that phishing is a broader threat, not a flaw in its encryption. "Phishing isn't new, and it's not a flaw in our encryption or any of Signal's underlying technology."

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Right now there are a lot of new eyes on Signal, and not all of them are familiar with secure messaging and its nuances. Which means there's misinfo flying around that might drive people away from Signal and private communications.

One piece of misinfo we need to address is the…

— Signal (@signalapp) March 25, 2025

Why It's Important: Signal is widely used by lawmakers, journalists, and intelligence professionals for secure communication. One anonymous House Republican told Axios they removed identifying information from their Signal profile "for peace of mind."

Moreover, multiple California lawmakers were targeted in a suspected phishing attack about two months ago, the report noted, citing several delegation members.

Signal was created by entrepreneur Moxie Marlinspike and debuted in 2024. According to the app tracking site Business of Apps, the platform grew from 12 million users in 2020 to 70 million worldwide by 2024.

Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.