Elon Musk's team, which is focused on dismantling the federal bureaucracy, shares a common communication tool with protesters opposing his efforts: Signal.
Signal, a text-and voice app established over a decade ago, is recognized as the gold standard for end-to-end encrypted communications, according to mobile security experts. Its adoption has spread beyond privacy-conscious dissidents to encompass officials, lawmakers, generals, and corporate leaders.
Even before Signal gained national attention when senior Trump officials inadvertently included a reporter in communications about impending airstrikes on Yemen, it was making significant inroads in Washington. Data from Sensor Tower indicates that U.S. app downloads of Signal increased by 16% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter, and by 25% compared to the same period in 2024.
In the capital, it is rare to find a congressional aide or political appointee who doesn't utilize the app, which is operated by the nonprofit Signal Foundation. The phrase, "Let's take this to Signal," has become a signal itself that a conversation is about to turn serious. Over 1,100 government officials across all 50 states are confirmed to be using Signal.
Musk's Department of Government Efficiency reportedly uses Signal to coordinate its government-cutting initiatives. Musk has employed Signal during his 2022 acquisition of Twitter and recently used it to communicate with Ashley St. Clair, a right-wing social media figure and mother of his children.
Some governments have endorsed the use of Signal. In 2020, the European Commission officially sanctioned it, stating that its guidance applied to public instant messaging. While U.S. officials have not made similar proclamations, guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency late last year recommended that senior government officials switch to secure communication platforms, including Signal.
The U.S. Senate has approved Signal for use by legislative staffers.
Signal's robust privacy protections, with the company claiming it collects minimal user data, have also attracted criminal activity. The Drug Enforcement Agency reported that drug dealers often shift conversations with clients to Signal and other encrypted platforms. Additionally, court filings reveal that those who plotted to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power on January 6, 2021, used Signal to coordinate their attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The opposition to the president's efforts to significantly reduce the federal bureaucracy and challenge established constitutional protections is also organized through Signal. Whistleblowers within the civil service are turning to the app to evade surveillance from Trump's appointees, and recent reports indicate that several of the employees fired during this upheaval have urged colleagues to download Signal. Some individuals involved in the movement against the president's policies have similarly adopted the app for communication.