Report spam and block: how Signal wants to tackle its scammer problem

No photos, no links and the option to block and report messages requests right away: With these changes, Signal wants to better protect its users from spam messages. — Signal.org/dpa

The messenger app Signal wants to offer its users better protection from scammers trying to get them to click on dubious links or share bank details.

To do this, the increasingly popular WhatsApp alternative first of all wants to begin blurring out the profile pictures of any senders who are not in your own phone book until you actively tap on them.

This way, Signal developers want to prevent people from being misled into thinking they know someone or being manipulated by a photo of some attractive stranger.

A photo of a bank logo could, for example, be used to gain a person's trust and rope them into a conversation where they fall victim to fraud.

For the same reason, you won't be able to see links from any stranger sending you messages out of the blue, as these are often links to fake websites and phishing attacks, as the developer Open Whisper Systems explains in a blog post.

In order to prevent spam and scams not only in messages and conversations, but also in the entire network, you'll also have the option of blocking people and reporting them. In this way, Signal wants to identify and halt spam campaigns at an early stage.

According to Signal, the messenger has grown strongly in 2021, which is why the platform has also become more popular target for scammers.

According to the provider, when someone taps on "Report and block spam", only the mobile phone number of the potential spammer and a unique, anonymous ID are sent to Signal.

If a number is repeatedly reported as spam or if its use appears to be automated, the app requires the suspected scammer to solve a puzzle (CAPTCHA) in order to slow down automated spam. A precise start date for the innovations was not initially mentioned. – dpa