Facebook-leaked phone number reveals that Mark Zuckerberg uses Signal
What's the story
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's phone number is among the personal data of 533 million Facebook users that was leaked recently. Dave Walker, a security researcher on Twitter revealed that Zuckerberg has an account on the Signal app. The news is ironic because, while Facebook-owned WhatsApp's new privacy policy is facing global outrage, Zuckerberg himself has an account on the rival messaging platform.
Quick recap
Privacy-centric messenger Signal became popular amid WhatsApp privacy policy furor
For the uninitiated, Signal is an open-source privacy-centric instant messaging platform. The app's popularity skyrocketed after Tesla CEO Elon Musk recommended the app over WhatsApp. At the time, WhatsApp's privacy policy changes were being hotly debated. The changes conveyed that WhatsApp would share user data with parent company Facebook. Although WhatsApp deferred the implementation of the new policy, the platform has been bleeding users.
Twitter Post
Dave Walker shares screenshot saying Zuckerberg is on Signal
In another turn of events, Mark Zuckerberg also respects his own privacy, by using a chat app that has end-to-end encryption and isn't owned by @facebook
— Dave Walker (@Daviey) April 4, 2021
This is the number associated with his account from the recent facebook leak. https://t.co/AXbXrF4ZxE
Wrong signal
Zuckerberg's Facebook-associated phone number also linked to Signal account
Revealing that Zuckerberg is on Signal, Walker said that the phone number for the Signal account is the same one associated with Zuckerberg's Facebook account. Besides his phone number, the Facebook data breach also leaked his location, marriage details, date of birth, and Facebook user ID. The breach also affected Facebook co-founders Chris Hughes and Dustin Moskovitz.
Appalling data handling
Breach affected 6 million Indians, leaked data available for free
The data pulled from Facebook's database was reportedly made available for free on low-level hacking forums. It affects nearly 6 million Indians as well. The hack will undoubtedly affect Facebook, which hasn't yet been able to shrug off the attention it got for involvement in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Moreover, we believe users will be more apprehensive about handing over their data to Facebook.
Nervous signals
Breach could impact adoption of Facebook's upcoming data-centric hardware projects
The data breach's dent to Facebook's battered brand image could also impact the rate at which people take to its upcoming wrist-worn wearable. The watch uses a neural interface to track user movements and interact with an Augmented Reality computer. A neural interface interprets signals in the human nervous system and converts them into instructions for devices such as a computer.