Meredith Whittaker
@meredithmeredith.bsky.social
President of Signal, Chief Advisor to AI Now Institute
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Great expose on the status of attack capabilities at Cellebrite, the defense company used by homeland security agents to crack your phones both at the U.S. border, airports, and interior.👇
New from 404 Media: someone managed to get into a Microsoft Teams call with phone hackers Cellebrite, who then detailed some of the company's hacking capabilities against Google Pixel phones. Also its capabilities against GrapheneOS, security-focused devices www.404media.co/someone-snuc...
Someone Snuck Into a Cellebrite Microsoft Teams Call and Leaked Phone Unlocking Details
The leaked slide focuses on Google Pixel phones and mentions those running the security-focused GrapheneOS operating system.
www.404media.co
October 30, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Great expose on the status of attack capabilities at Cellebrite, the defense company used by homeland security agents to crack your phones both at the U.S. border, airports, and interior.👇
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Now on Desktop: Customizable chat folders
Keep healthy boundaries between friends & family or work & leisure.
Filter 1-on-1 and group chats, put all of your unread messages one place, or make project-specific folders for related chats.
Settings > Chats
Or right-click any chat
Keep healthy boundaries between friends & family or work & leisure.
Filter 1-on-1 and group chats, put all of your unread messages one place, or make project-specific folders for related chats.
Settings > Chats
Or right-click any chat
October 30, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Now on Desktop: Customizable chat folders
Keep healthy boundaries between friends & family or work & leisure.
Filter 1-on-1 and group chats, put all of your unread messages one place, or make project-specific folders for related chats.
Settings > Chats
Or right-click any chat
Keep healthy boundaries between friends & family or work & leisure.
Filter 1-on-1 and group chats, put all of your unread messages one place, or make project-specific folders for related chats.
Settings > Chats
Or right-click any chat
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
When @wired.com made FOIA-based stories free, subscriptions went up.
When @404media.co published public records reporting without a paywall, new sources came forward.
We spoke to both about why dropping paywalls like this is good for journalism — and for business.
When @404media.co published public records reporting without a paywall, new sources came forward.
We spoke to both about why dropping paywalls like this is good for journalism — and for business.
Wired and 404 Media make FOIA reporting free. Other news outlets should too
We spoke to Katie Drummond of Wired, Joseph Cox of 404 Media, and Lauren Harper of Freedom of the Press Foundation about the case for unpaywalling public records-based reporting
freedom.press
October 30, 2025 at 5:35 PM
When @wired.com made FOIA-based stories free, subscriptions went up.
When @404media.co published public records reporting without a paywall, new sources came forward.
We spoke to both about why dropping paywalls like this is good for journalism — and for business.
When @404media.co published public records reporting without a paywall, new sources came forward.
We spoke to both about why dropping paywalls like this is good for journalism — and for business.
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
This thread does a better job of capturing why the cloud isn’t merely “renting a bunch of servers” than anything else I’ve seen recently.
📣THREAD: It’s surprising to me that so many people were surprised to learn that Signal runs partly on AWS (something we can do because we use encryption to make sure no one but you–not AWS, not Signal, not anyone–can access your comms).
It’s also concerning. 1/
It’s also concerning. 1/
PSA: we're aware that Signal is down for some people. This appears to be related to a major AWS outage. Stand by.
October 27, 2025 at 2:48 PM
This thread does a better job of capturing why the cloud isn’t merely “renting a bunch of servers” than anything else I’ve seen recently.
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Informative thread.
📣THREAD: It’s surprising to me that so many people were surprised to learn that Signal runs partly on AWS (something we can do because we use encryption to make sure no one but you–not AWS, not Signal, not anyone–can access your comms).
It’s also concerning. 1/
It’s also concerning. 1/
PSA: we're aware that Signal is down for some people. This appears to be related to a major AWS outage. Stand by.
October 27, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Informative thread.
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Good thread from @signal.org CEO, @meredithmeredith.bsky.social underscoring our critical dependencies on a few key orgs, and an increasing challenge in organizational and national resilience. We have a lot of work to do. cc @gate15.bsky.social
In short, the problem here is not that Signal ‘chose’ to run on AWS. The problem is the concentration of power in the infrastructure space that means there isn’t really another choice: the entire stack, practically speaking, is owned by 3-4 players. 11/
October 27, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Good thread from @signal.org CEO, @meredithmeredith.bsky.social underscoring our critical dependencies on a few key orgs, and an increasing challenge in organizational and national resilience. We have a lot of work to do. cc @gate15.bsky.social
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Excellent thread that I kinda had been waiting for.
👇
👇
The question isn’t "why does Signal use AWS?" It’s to look at the infrastructural requirements of any global, real-time, mass comms platform and ask how it is that we got to a place where there’s no realistic alternative to AWS and the other hyperscalers. 3/
October 27, 2025 at 10:42 AM
Excellent thread that I kinda had been waiting for.
👇
👇
📣THREAD: It’s surprising to me that so many people were surprised to learn that Signal runs partly on AWS (something we can do because we use encryption to make sure no one but you–not AWS, not Signal, not anyone–can access your comms).
It’s also concerning. 1/
It’s also concerning. 1/
PSA: we're aware that Signal is down for some people. This appears to be related to a major AWS outage. Stand by.
October 27, 2025 at 10:38 AM
📣THREAD: It’s surprising to me that so many people were surprised to learn that Signal runs partly on AWS (something we can do because we use encryption to make sure no one but you–not AWS, not Signal, not anyone–can access your comms).
It’s also concerning. 1/
It’s also concerning. 1/
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Pray, Mr. Altman, if you put into the machine correct figures, will the right answers come out?
“I have been asked, ‘Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?’ I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.”
— Charles Babbage (1864)
— Charles Babbage (1864)
October 25, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Pray, Mr. Altman, if you put into the machine correct figures, will the right answers come out?
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Die Signal-Chefin Meredith Whittaker spricht im Interview über die Chatkontrolle. Ihre Argumente für mehr Datenschutz sind auch interessant für User, die denken, dass sie „nichts zu verbergen haben“ (F+)
🔗 www.freitag.de/autoren/fges...
📝 Finn Gessert
📷 Foto: Florian Hetz
🔗 www.freitag.de/autoren/fges...
📝 Finn Gessert
📷 Foto: Florian Hetz
October 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Die Signal-Chefin Meredith Whittaker spricht im Interview über die Chatkontrolle. Ihre Argumente für mehr Datenschutz sind auch interessant für User, die denken, dass sie „nichts zu verbergen haben“ (F+)
🔗 www.freitag.de/autoren/fges...
📝 Finn Gessert
📷 Foto: Florian Hetz
🔗 www.freitag.de/autoren/fges...
📝 Finn Gessert
📷 Foto: Florian Hetz
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Your favorite thing is down because DynamoDB at Amazon's AWS US-EAST-1 Regionwoke up with Main Character Syndrome.
This is the default /legacy backbone for a ton of things.
Including Amazon's own stuff.
Massive outages.
Here's what's going on & what we know 1/
This is the default /legacy backbone for a ton of things.
Including Amazon's own stuff.
Massive outages.
Here's what's going on & what we know 1/
October 20, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Your favorite thing is down because DynamoDB at Amazon's AWS US-EAST-1 Regionwoke up with Main Character Syndrome.
This is the default /legacy backbone for a ton of things.
Including Amazon's own stuff.
Massive outages.
Here's what's going on & what we know 1/
This is the default /legacy backbone for a ton of things.
Including Amazon's own stuff.
Massive outages.
Here's what's going on & what we know 1/
PSA: we're aware that Signal is down for some people. This appears to be related to a major AWS outage. Stand by.
October 20, 2025 at 8:00 AM
PSA: we're aware that Signal is down for some people. This appears to be related to a major AWS outage. Stand by.
"I don't have anything to hide why should I care about privacy?"
The politician in South Carolina who has introduced a bill redefining contraception as abortion also wants people who share websites to be charged with aiding and abetting homicide.
October 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
"I don't have anything to hide why should I care about privacy?"
LOL all morning picturing some finance quant slouched at his desk prompting Dalle, like, "make me a picture of pikachu having sex with the Apple logo" or whatever tf those guys use these things for, then throwing up his hands like "WHY WON'T THIS FIND ALPHA?!"
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
October 16, 2025 at 12:39 PM
LOL all morning picturing some finance quant slouched at his desk prompting Dalle, like, "make me a picture of pikachu having sex with the Apple logo" or whatever tf those guys use these things for, then throwing up his hands like "WHY WON'T THIS FIND ALPHA?!"
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
I wish more people knew that there’s virtually no way to prove media or text is AI-generated unless you created it yourself. “AI detectors” aren’t proof. Among other glaring issues, this makes it more difficult for journalists to report on media being AI-generated even when it seems obvious
October 15, 2025 at 6:07 PM
I wish more people knew that there’s virtually no way to prove media or text is AI-generated unless you created it yourself. “AI detectors” aren’t proof. Among other glaring issues, this makes it more difficult for journalists to report on media being AI-generated even when it seems obvious
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
We’re excited to welcome Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal Foundation, to ADVANCE 2025, ADAPT’s flagship AI, industry & policy forum happening tomorrow.
Join leading voices shaping the future of AI.
#ADVANCE2025 #AI #Innovation
@researchireland.ie @signal.org
Join leading voices shaping the future of AI.
#ADVANCE2025 #AI #Innovation
@researchireland.ie @signal.org
October 15, 2025 at 9:09 AM
We’re excited to welcome Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal Foundation, to ADVANCE 2025, ADAPT’s flagship AI, industry & policy forum happening tomorrow.
Join leading voices shaping the future of AI.
#ADVANCE2025 #AI #Innovation
@researchireland.ie @signal.org
Join leading voices shaping the future of AI.
#ADVANCE2025 #AI #Innovation
@researchireland.ie @signal.org
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
Die Signal-Chefin Meredith Whittaker spricht im Interview über die Chatkontrolle. Ihre Argumente für mehr Datenschutz sind auch interessant für User, die denken, dass sie „nichts zu verbergen haben“ (F+)
„Private Kommunikation kann der Unterschied zwischen Leben und Tod sein“
Die Signal-Chefin Meredith Whittaker spricht im Interview über die Chatkontrolle. Ihre Argumente für mehr Datenschutz sind auch interessant für User, die denken, dass sie „nichts zu verbergen haben“
www.freitag.de
October 14, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Die Signal-Chefin Meredith Whittaker spricht im Interview über die Chatkontrolle. Ihre Argumente für mehr Datenschutz sind auch interessant für User, die denken, dass sie „nichts zu verbergen haben“ (F+)
For those who want to know about how I chop vegetables between meetings, or grind my coffee, have I got the article for you www.businessinsider.com/day-in-the-l...
I'm the president of Signal. I love dance music in the mornings, night yoga, and acting like a tourist — here's a day in my life.
Meredith Whittaker wakes up by 6 am whether she's in New York or Paris and checks her Signal, where the entire company operates and communicates.
www.businessinsider.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:24 AM
For those who want to know about how I chop vegetables between meetings, or grind my coffee, have I got the article for you www.businessinsider.com/day-in-the-l...
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
これ面白かった。秘匿性が高い通信アプリの筆頭格であるsignalのMeredith Whittaker（元Googleの研究者）のインタビュー。
GoogleやMicrosoft、Apple等々のテック企業は基本的にユーザーの個人情報や利用情報などのプライバシーを餌として利用することを通して利益を上げていることや、その最たる例として昨今のAI技術が使われていることを解説している。私たちがネット上で日々交わしているあらゆるメッセージは、常に誰かに利用されるリスクに晒されており、それに対して人権としてのプライバシーが主張される。
youtube.com/watch?v=8BUU...
GoogleやMicrosoft、Apple等々のテック企業は基本的にユーザーの個人情報や利用情報などのプライバシーを餌として利用することを通して利益を上げていることや、その最たる例として昨今のAI技術が使われていることを解説している。私たちがネット上で日々交わしているあらゆるメッセージは、常に誰かに利用されるリスクに晒されており、それに対して人権としてのプライバシーが主張される。
youtube.com/watch?v=8BUU...
【あなたのチャットはもう"晒されている”】1億人のメッセージアプリ・シグナル代表 メレディス・ウィテカー／巨大テック「無料」の裏に“監視ビジネス”／ChatGPTは個人情報を「食い尽くす」【1on1】
YouTube video by TBS CROSS DIG with Bloomberg
youtube.com
October 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
これ面白かった。秘匿性が高い通信アプリの筆頭格であるsignalのMeredith Whittaker（元Googleの研究者）のインタビュー。
GoogleやMicrosoft、Apple等々のテック企業は基本的にユーザーの個人情報や利用情報などのプライバシーを餌として利用することを通して利益を上げていることや、その最たる例として昨今のAI技術が使われていることを解説している。私たちがネット上で日々交わしているあらゆるメッセージは、常に誰かに利用されるリスクに晒されており、それに対して人権としてのプライバシーが主張される。
youtube.com/watch?v=8BUU...
GoogleやMicrosoft、Apple等々のテック企業は基本的にユーザーの個人情報や利用情報などのプライバシーを餌として利用することを通して利益を上げていることや、その最たる例として昨今のAI技術が使われていることを解説している。私たちがネット上で日々交わしているあらゆるメッセージは、常に誰かに利用されるリスクに晒されており、それに対して人権としてのプライバシーが主張される。
youtube.com/watch?v=8BUU...
We love to see it <3
They say it’s to protect children, but this new EU law would let AI scan every message we send.
That means our private moments; photos, chats, confessions, could be monitored forever.
action.uplift.ie/campaigns/st...
#speirgorm
That means our private moments; photos, chats, confessions, could be monitored forever.
action.uplift.ie/campaigns/st...
#speirgorm
October 12, 2025 at 9:54 AM
We love to see it <3
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
A speech about what drives me, how science and open source are bitter victories, unable to make improve the world if society does not embrace them for the better:
gael-varoquaux.info/personnal/a-...
gael-varoquaux.info/personnal/a-...
A national recognition; but science and open source are bitter victories
I have recently been awarded France’s national order of merit, for my career, in science, in open source, and around AI. The speech that I gave carries messages important to me (French below;...
gael-varoquaux.info
October 10, 2025 at 11:37 AM
A speech about what drives me, how science and open source are bitter victories, unable to make improve the world if society does not embrace them for the better:
gael-varoquaux.info/personnal/a-...
gael-varoquaux.info/personnal/a-...
We're so relieved to see Germany reaffirm its opposition to the dangerous Chat Control proposal--the one that would mandate mass scanning of communications. Germany's long been a solid champion of privacy, and the news that it was considering backing mass surveillance was alarming. 1/
October 9, 2025 at 11:40 AM
We're so relieved to see Germany reaffirm its opposition to the dangerous Chat Control proposal--the one that would mandate mass scanning of communications. Germany's long been a solid champion of privacy, and the news that it was considering backing mass surveillance was alarming. 1/
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
FWIW I've written to the Irish Minister for Justice - an enthusiastic supporter of Europe's hideous "chat control" phone-scanning proposal - asking him to imagine when that technology is used against him.
If you're German, please, PLEASE write to your justice/interior minister today.
If you're German, please, PLEASE write to your justice/interior minister today.
October 7, 2025 at 4:04 PM
FWIW I've written to the Irish Minister for Justice - an enthusiastic supporter of Europe's hideous "chat control" phone-scanning proposal - asking him to imagine when that technology is used against him.
If you're German, please, PLEASE write to your justice/interior minister today.
If you're German, please, PLEASE write to your justice/interior minister today.
Reposted by Meredith Whittaker
I think you completely misunderstand what this bill represents. Read up on it www.patrick-breyer.de/en/posts/cha...
Chat Control: The EU's CSAM scanner proposal
🇫🇷 French: Traduction du dossier Chat Control 2.0, stopchatcontrol.fr🇸🇪 Swedish: Chat Control 2.0🇩🇰 Danish: chatcontrol.dk🇳🇱 Dutch: Chatcontrole
The End of the Privacy of Digital Cor...
www.patrick-breyer.de
October 7, 2025 at 8:15 AM
I think you completely misunderstand what this bill represents. Read up on it www.patrick-breyer.de/en/posts/cha...