Signal is a free and open source messaging application owned by the non-profit Signal Foundation. Since making a profit isn’t part of the equation for Signal, there’s no reason to collect user data – and it doesn’t. To use the app you need a smartphone and a phone number, that’s it.
The messages you send through Signal are protected by the Signal protocol, which uses state-of-the-art encryption and is considered the gold standard in the industry. This means that no one, not even Signal, can read or access your messages. If the police come knocking on Signal’s door and ask for your information, the company will have nothing to give because nothing is stored.
All communications conducted through Signal are encrypted by default, so you can safely make audio and video calls, send disappearing messages, photos, files, and more. There’s just one problem: Signal isn’t as popular as mainstream messaging apps, and it’s safe to assume that most of your contacts aren’t using it.