Encrypted Messaging App’s Downloads Have Doubled Since Trump’s Election

While not the only mobile app for encrypted text and voice messaging, Open Whisper System’s implementation of secure messaging, Signal, has gained more and more traction as the go-to private messaging platform as of late. At least in recent days, that buzz is likely in light of certain internet privacy protections being rolled back by President Trump.

The uptick in adoption is not just perception, either, as it’s clearly paid off in increasing the app’s user base. For starters, according to a report from recode on Tuesday, downloads of the app have spiked since Election Day. In addition, if you combine downloads from both Apple’s App Store and Google Play, there were 1.4 million downloads of Signal in the first quarter of 2017, close to double the same figure last year.

Perhaps most tellingly, the biggest day for Signal was Inauguration Day, when the app was in nineteenth place for the day in Apple’s App store. The previous high water mark was the day after Election Day. Signal has consistently been in the top 50 ever since, a mark it didn’t hit before then.

That said, Amir Ghodrati of App Annie, a mobile app data analytics company, told recode that this can be chalked up to, in large part, the “network effect” that comes with messaging apps. As more people use the app, their friends will follow to keep up with them.

[image via screengrab]

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