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Signal is a closed centrally controlled network that has a hard requirement on users to pay money to centrally controlled telco providers to get accounts making it impossible to be legally anonymous in most countries. It is also very unfriendly to custom clients or automation. In those regards it is no different from WhatsApp.

Matrix however is a great choice imo.



I've never paid for signal?


I suspect they are referring to how you need a phone number from a provider presumably linked to the ITU to sign up to signal?


Correct




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