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.

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."

Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.

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

Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Check This Out: