PCC - Communication

Emily Ross
(Neil Shephard)

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👇👇👇 slackline.github.io/pcc-signal 👇👇👇

Purpose

  • Proposed that the club switch from WhatsApp to Signal for primary mode of official communication between members.1

XKCD : Standards

Peak Climbing Club Communication

Historically…

WhatsApp

  • Privately owned by Meta
  • For profit (if not paying you are the product)
  • Messages end-to-end encrypted but “metadata” isn’t
  • Code base is closed source (no scrutiny)
  • WhatsAppp shares all your contacts with Meta
  • Excludes those who are concerned about privacy
  • Security breaches (original paper)

Metadata Tracked

  • GPS Location
  • IP Address
  • Who you are messaging
  • When you are messaging
  • Communities/groups you are in
  • Your contacts details

Signal

  • Privacy Focused
  • Owned by non-profit Signal Foundation
  • Tracks nothing

  • Meta, for Profit
  • You are the product
  • Can’t hide phone number
  • Tracks Metadata
    • Interactions
    • Location
    • IP Address
    • Usage
  • Builds user profile
  • Politically motivated

  • Signal Foundation, non-profit
  • Voluntary Donations
  • Hide phone number
  • Tracks nothing

WhatsApp v Signal

Aspect
Ownership Meta (private for profit) Signal Foundation (Non-profit)
Funding Model You are the product Voluntary Donations
Group Chat ✅ ✅
Community ✅ ❌
Private Phone Number ❌ ✅
Hide Contact Details ❌ ✅
Tracks Interactions ✅ ❌
Tracks Location ✅ ❌
Tracks IP Address ✅ ❌
Builds User Profile ✅ ❌
Political Motives ✅ ❌

Challenges to Switching

  • No “community” feature in Signal
  • “I’ve nothing to hide”
  • Network Effect

No Community Feature

Problem

  • No “Community” feature

Solution

  • Group chats have individual managers
  • New members are told about all groups and contact manager to sign up
  • Bonus Dedicated Prospective Members without need to be in “Community”

I’ve Nothing to Hide

Problem

  • Some people don’t care about being tracked
  • Privacy should be default (but it’s not 😒 )

Solution

Network Effect

Problem

  • Resistance to change
  • “Not another app!”
  • No one uses it
  • Two concurrent systems

Solution

  • Already have lots Apps installed
  • Could be a dedicated “PCC” messaging app
  • Either…
    • Switch & close down WhatsApp community
    • Don’t switch

Challenges to Sticking with WhatsApp

  • Excludes those concerned about privacy
  • Advertising (see also here)
  • On-going invasion of privacy
  • Prospective Members can’t join community

Questions about Signal