How Signal’s Billionaire Backer Could Have Compromised App Neutrality
Signal, the encrypted messaging app hailed as a fortress of privacy, has long been a go-to of activists, journalists, the FBI, the CIA, and even cabinet members. But when The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was “accidentally invited” into a Signal group chat this month with Trump cabinet members—exposing Trump administration plans for military strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen—the app’s aura of invincibility cracked. The March 24, Atlantic article sent shocks through Washington, and now a glaring question looms: Could Signal’s far-left leaning board have anything to do with the compromised group chat?
Board Breakdown
To start, there’s Brian Acton, co-founder of WhatsApp (sold to Facebook for $19B in 2014) and co-founder of the Signal App (operated by Signal Foundation, a non-profit org) who poured $50 million into founding the Signal Foundation in 2018. He’s not just a tech titan—he’s a progressive powerhouse. Through Solidarity Giving, one of his philanthropic arms, Acton funnels millions to far-left stalwarts: the ACLU Foundation, the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF), and Planned Parenthood. The same groups locked in fierce legal and political battles with the Trump administration, from challenging immigration policies to defending abortion access and fighting education cuts. Acton’s wife, Tegan, steers Solidarity Giving, which has doled out over $3 million to the ACLU, $550,000 to the LDF, and $6.5 million to Planned Parenthood since 2017—cash that fuels their war chests against Trump’s agenda.
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Acton’s politics aren’t subtle. Solidarity Giving, launched post-2016 election to counter Trump’s rise, backs the ACLU’s lawsuits against Trump’s immigration crackdowns, the LDF’s litigation over DOGE’s education policies, and Planned Parenthood’s fight against abortion restrictions—all live fronts in 2025. Acton’s foundation grantees align with a progressive playbook: DEI, voting rights, abortion, all at war with the current administration. Could this ideological zeal have seeped into Signal, an app he controls as executive chairman?
Another Signal board member – CEO Katherine Maher —is this week in a high-stakes clash with the Trump-backed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and was in a congressional hearing this morning over proposed budget cuts. Maher, a progressive luminary with ties to the Atlantic Council and a web of left-leaning boards.
Tech & Politics
Signal’s encryption is open-source and supposedly bulletproof. But its nonprofit structure, lean staff, and Acton-dominated board could hypothetically leave room for human meddling. The subplot thickens with Maher’s NPR-DOGE fight. Her husband, Ashutosh Upreti, a privacy lawyer with Big Tech connections, amplifies her influence.
Meanwhile, Signal’s other board member and President, Meredith Whittaker, a former Google activist who led Google walkouts in 2018 before resigning in 2019, shares Acton’s progressive bent. This trio’s overlap—Acton’s money, Maher’s networks, Whittaker’s ideology—casts a shadow over Signal’s neutrality. Other board members include Amba Kak and Jay Sullivan.
The ACLU is suing over federal worker purges, the LDF is challenging DOGE’s school voucher push, and Planned Parenthood is battling Trump’s health policy rollbacks and federal funding freeze. Signal users may start wondering if other Big-Tech censured conservatives, could Signal as well?
Signal did not immediately respond to THRIVE!’s inquiry if the app could have been compromised or hacked. They did release this public statement on X, touting its strength and security:
Right now there are a lot of new eyes on Signal, and not all of them are familiar with secure messaging and its nuances. Which means there’s misinfo flying around that might drive people away from Signal and private communications. One piece of misinfo we need to address is the claim that there are ‘vulnerabilities’ in Signal. This isn’t accurate. Reporting on a Pentagon advisory memo appears to be at the heart of the misunderstanding: https://npr.org/2025/03/25/nx-s1-5339801/pentagon-email-signal-vulnerability…. The memo used the term ‘vulnerability’ in relation to Signal—but it had nothing to do with Signal’s core tech. It was warning against phishing scams targeting Signal users. Phishing isn’t new, and it’s not a flaw in our encryption or any of Signal’s underlying technology. Phishing attacks are a constant threat for popular apps and websites. In order to help protect people from falling victim to sophisticated phishing attacks, Signal introduced new user flows and in-app warnings. This work has been completed for some time and is unrelated to any current events. If you’re interested in learning more, this WIRED article from February 19th (over a month ago) goes into more detail: https://wired.com/story/russia-signal-qr-code-phishing-attack/… Signal is open source, so our code is regularly scrutinized in addition to regular formal audits. We also constantly monitor security@signal.org for any new reports, and we act on them with quickness while also working to protect the people who rely on us from outside threats like phishing with warnings and safeguards. This is why Signal remains the gold standard for private, secure communications.
Acton hasn’t spoken; Maher cites NPR’s impartiality; Whittaker Touts Signal’s security. But the timing raises questions. Mike Waltz told Laura Ingraham on FOX that he in no way had Goldberg’s phone number on his phone. Waltz said the invite was sent to a known contact in his phone who somehow had the phone number of Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic. Leading to the conclusion that either Waltz’s device itself was hacked or the Signal app was hacked, one or the other, and an invite was sent to Goldberg.
For 40 million users, Signal’s allure was its purity. Now, with far-left cash propping up Trump’s foes and a mysterious invite, that trust hangs by a thread. More to come.
