1/

Thread on @signalapp:

28th Nov 2011: A deal is made.

Security researcher @Moxie Marlinspike and Roboticist Stuart Anderson's brainchild, Whisper Systems, will be sold off to Twitter for a nice sum of money. It comes as a surprise because all of Whisper System's services
2/

are in beta phase. But Twitter would profit greatly from this venture, given that WhisperCore and TextSecure, two incredible softwares based on Android would be used for data encryption on the Twitter servers. Which would make sense, given that Twiter

https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-buys-android-security-firm-whisper-systems/
4/

That has got to hurt. Not @Moxie though. It would leave a big shoes in Twitter Security's team to fill. And THAT is some good amount of soul searching that Jack would have to do. He just says "I'm bored, wanna do something new, byeeee!" (basically).

Well played, I say.
5/

They bring in a great replacement, though. Charlie Miller. Legendary hacker who hacked the @Apple's security systems had just joined back in September of 2012. But that's not where our heroes take us, so let's move ahead.

On being asked what @Moxie's next plans were, he
6/

reveals them. They're really good though.
They're... to go to the beach, do some physical therapy and says he has some "fun projects" coming up. Well, that's a refreshing change from hacking and security for sure.
7/

Side note, merely a month after acquiring Whisper Systems, Twitter goes ahead and TextSecure's been made Open Source and all of its code available on @Github. That's generous, guys. Really. Maybe a little too much.

Twitter doesn't stop there either. https://web.archive.org/web/20120817101613/https://github.com/whispersystems/textsecure
8/

Even after @Moxie leaves, it decides, hey you know what? Let's go ahead and make MORE of those super cool encryption softwares that Moxie built, mostly on his own? Yeah let's make them open source, that should make us amazing.

Twitter Security:
9/

Making it open source launches a ton of possibilities for @Moxie to explore.

21 Jan 2013: Moxie launches Open Whisper Systems, a new company, calling it "A New Home". Aw, that's cute. Moxie even uses the GENIUS move of Twitter to make all those https://signal.org/blog/welcome/ 
10/

amazing softwares open source and says to the world "Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Whoever shalt want improve this shalt become a part of my project!"

Good one, @Moxie. Well played. You invited millions of developers who love Open Source to just improve your software.

And it works.
11/
Open Whisper Systems is met with HUGE demand, specially with it being Open Source. The man @Moxie turns into a #Cybersecurity legend. A Linus Torvalds, if you will. (If you have to google Linus, stop reading and get out).
12/

The demand is HUGE. And it's worldwide. In 2013, @Snowden had also revealed the importance of transparency in a Govt and the misuse of surveillance, so the demand grew even further. Code lovers go wild. Almost anyone with an interest in cybersecurity https://reason.com/2013/03/14/encrypt-your-smartphone-communications-f/
13/

is now unofficially a team member of @Moxie and his Open Whisper Systems. And they make it better. MUCH better. @CyanogenMod teams up with OWS and they decide "You know what? I work open source, you work open source, let's both work open source!"
(Sort of like this.)
14/

The demand grows. An whooping estimate of 30 million installations is considered as of 2013.

Blackberry. iMessage. Hangouts. Whatsapp. You name it.
It beats them all.

One @Moxie to rule them all.

https://www.theverge.com/2013/12/9/5191778/cyanogenmod-rolls-out-encrypted-text-messaging-by-default-whisper-systems
15/

24 Feb 2014: Open Whisper Systems decides to roll out a whole new version of TextSecure and calls it "the final step in the transition from a private SMS app to a private asynchronous IM app that does not depend on SMS/MMS."

This version did. A LOT. https://signal.org/blog/the-new-textsecure/
16/

It brought in huge competition to Whatsapp, which is already struggling to catch up with this version of TextSecure. @Corbett and @FredericJacobs work on a platform for iOS and @TheBlueMatt works on a desktop client for the same. All in all, next level security incoming.
17/

29 Jul 2014: Something happens. Free encrypted calling worldwide.

RedPhone and TextSecure were to be combined and to be known as "Signal".

This. Would. Change. The. World. As. We. Knew. It.

Of course, Whatsapp or anyone would never be close. https://signal.org/blog/signal/ 
18/

3rd March 2015:

Signal 2.0 launches. Faster, better. FREE. And best of all. Open Source. Everyone wondered how on Earth a 7 member team was outsmarting everyone else on the planet. But they were. And fame was coming like never before.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/now-you-can-easily-send-free-encrypted-messages-between-android-ios/
19/

20 Feb 2014:

Somewhere in another world: A deal was made.
Mark Zuckerberg had just acquired Whatsapp, effectively acquiring talents of both @brianacton and Jon Koum, founders of Whatsapp. Yayyyy... we're all buddies now! Right, guys?

https://www.gadgetsnow.com/tech-news/Facebook-buys-WhatsApp-CEO-Mark-Zuckerberg-explains-why/articleshow/30714548.cms
20/

Now ALL ZUCK HAD TO DO IS NOT SCREW IT UP.

*3.5 years later*

Mark: Hey Jon, Hey Brian, I've been selling users' data to everyone. You guys were cool with that, right?

Jon, Brian (in unison): WAIT... WHAT.

And just like that, both Brian and Jon left WhatsApp.
21/

Now Zuck was all alone and without any friends again.
"Aw man, I shouldn't have told them that I was secretly taking all their users' data without their consent."

And that, kids, is why consent is important. In everything.

Press F to pay respects.
Story doesn't end though!
22/

21 Feb 2018: @BrianActon sees the Signal Team and goes, "Hey, you're doing pretty well with all that privacy for the users stuff, mind if I join you guys?"
@Moxie goes "Sure Brian hop in, more the merrier."
And then it finally happens. Signal https://signal.org/blog/signal-foundation/
23/

Foundation goes live. With whooping support and love by everyone.
Lovers of the privacy world just loved that the legend @BrianActon has joined the legend @Moxie Marlinspike.

They were onto something. Everyone knew it. And it was gonna be great. https://signal.org/blog/signal-foundation/
24/

And it was. Signal Foundation was a foundation that was non-profit and made open source software. And everyone was welcome. The new world's Linux equivalent in terms of privacy. Where Linux was moving ahead in terms of open source OS, @signalapp was moving in Cyber Sec.
25/

3 years later: #Signal is one of the most (if not THE most) trusted apps in history for chats and calls. EVER.

And everyone in the @signalapp team lived happily ever after. https://signal.org/#signal 
Cc: @brianacton @moxie lemme know your thoughts on my coverage of your story!

@elonmusk @Snowden why don't you guys jump in too.
Cc: @TheYogiRocks please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online specially in the Indian RW. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @ExSecular please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @sankrant please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @Aabhas24 please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @FltLtAnoopVerma please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @workingboxwala please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @AbhishBanerj please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @pranavmahajan please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @VertigoWarrior please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @Manik_M_Jolly sir, please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.

Jai Hind!
Cc: @sharmarekha ma'am, please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @prasannavishy please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @swati_gs please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @ARanganathan72 please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
Cc: @archersaggi please take a look at this thread regarding #Signal App. Many people are spreading misinformation online. Hence I've made a documentary style covering over 10 years.
https://twitter.com/ThatHappyDudee/status/1349243548017651712?s=19
You can follow @ThatHappyDudee.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled:

By continuing to use the site, you are consenting to the use of cookies as explained in our Cookie Policy to improve your experience.