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“This isn’t the Matrix”
In a surprising turn of events, The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, found himself in the midst of a digital controversy when his phone number unexpectedly showed up in a Signal group chat with 17 US government officials discussing imminent airstrikes in Yemen. This bizarre incident has sparked a heated debate about how phone numbers are added to contact lists and how messaging apps handle user data.
Goldberg, in a Sunday talk show appearance, pushed back against the notion that his phone number was “sucked into” another contact’s list, stating that “My phone number is in his phone because my phone number is in his phone.” This straightforward explanation has sparked confusion among tech enthusiasts and security experts alike.
Signal’s president, Meredith Whittaker, declined to comment on the national security implications of this incident. However, earlier this week, she took to X to emphasize the importance of secure messaging and its nuances, stating that there are “a lot of new eyes on Signal, and not all of them are familiar with these concepts.”
The incident has raised crucial questions about phone number management and user data handling in popular messaging apps like Signal.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/30/this-isnt-the-matrix/
