The news: Signal, the US-based encrypted messaging app, saw a spike in adoption after a political controversy unfolded in the US government.
Last week, Signal’s US downloads increased 105% above the previous week and were 150% higher compared with their 2024 weekly average, per Sensor Tower, as cited by Wired.
The background: Dubbed Signalgate, an administration official mistakenly added The Atlantic’s editor in chief to a private Signal group chat that included a senior US government defense official and several other cabinet members discussing a planned military action on Yemen.