Twitter CEO Dorsey says download Signal as US protests gain steam

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has pitched for downloading encrypted messaging app Signal that rivals Telegram and Facebook-owned WhatsApp as protests in the US gain momentum.

Signal became one of the top 10 most downloaded social apps on iOS for the first time in the US on Wednesday, according to data from leading mobile data and analytics company App Annie.

"Download Signal," tweeted Dorsey who took the game-changing decision to flag US President Donald Trump`s controversial tweet on glorifying violence in the wake of the death of African-American George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25.

After Donald Trump threatened Twitter and other social media firms with an executive order, Dorsey said the fact-checking action against Trump tweets was his duty.

While Twitter put out a "public interest notice" on Trump tweet for violating the platform`s policies about glorifying violence, Facebook refused to take action when the tweet was cross-posted to its platform.

According to a Vox report, Signal has been downloaded 121,000 times in the US since May 25, according to Apptopia.

Community safety app Citizen has also been downloaded 234,000 times. Citizen was the fourth most downloaded iOS app of any kind, according to App Annie. Citizen was temporarily removed from the Google Play store on Wednesday but has been restored.

"Signal was the eighth most downloaded social networking app on Tuesday, and ranked around the top 100 for apps overall," the report mentioned.

Privacy centric messaging app Signal in February said it was mulling to go mainstream now and has put the $50 million infusion from WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton - who left Facebook over differences with CEO Mark Zuckerberg -- to good use.

Moxie Marlinspike -- who launched Signal -- has always talked about making encrypted communications easy enough for anyone to use.

"The major transition Signal has undergone is from a three-person small effort to something that is now a serious project with the capacity to do what is required to build software in the world today," Marlinspike was quoted as saying in a Wired report.

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The investment by the WhatsApp co-founder Acton has enabled the team to add features that also attract regular folks looking for an alternative to WhatsApp and Telegram.