Let’s Talk About Texts
Uncanny Valley | WIRED21 Elo 2020

Let’s Talk About Texts

Maybe you aren't a political dissident engaging in top secret conversations over text messages. But if you care about privacy, you should probably be using Signal—or really, another encrypted service—to send your messages. Encryption can be a hot-button issue, with governments demanding backdoors into private data stores and executives at companies like Facebook having wildly different opinions about how secure your communications should be. Plus, at a time when we're relying more and more on digital services to talk with each other, it's important to know who has access to your conversations.

This week on Gadget Lab, WIRED digital director Brian Barrett joins us to talk about the ins and outs of encryption, and why you'd want to use a secure messaging service in the first place.

Show Notes:

Read Brian’s tips for using Signal here.

Recommendations:

Brian recommends the show Detroiters. Lauren recommends the show Selling Sunset and the video where WIRED’s Nick Thompson, Pia Ceres and Adrienne So talk about the digital divide in education. Mike recommends using Signal’s built-in tool for blurring people’s faces whenever you want to share a sensitive photo.

Brian Barrett can be found on Twitter @brbarrett. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our executive producer is Alex Kapelman (@alexkapelman). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

If you have feedback about the show, or just want to enter to win a $50 gift card, take our brief listener survey here.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(431)

A Tariff Standoff with China, Power Outages and the End of Christmas

A Tariff Standoff with China, Power Outages and the End of Christmas

President Trump’s tariff standoff with China has caused chaos, confusion and major delays for companies of all shapes and sizes. As everyone waits to see what happens next, some businesses that depend...

29 Huhti 202515min

Protecting Your Phone—and Your Privacy—at the US Border

Protecting Your Phone—and Your Privacy—at the US Border

Under the new Trump administration, more and more visa holders and foreign visitors are being detained or denied entry at the border. It’s also becoming more common for people to be questioned or deta...

24 Huhti 202539min

Is Telsa on the Outs in China?

Is Telsa on the Outs in China?

China has long been a really important market for Tesla and for Elon Musk, but after the rising US tariffs and rising competition in the electric vehicle market – Tesla may be on the outs in China. To...

22 Huhti 202517min

How Americans Are Surveilled During Protests

How Americans Are Surveilled During Protests

There have been a number of protests in the past few months pushing back against President Trump’s most recent policy changes, and we're likely to see more. Today on the show, WIRED’s Senior Editor of...

17 Huhti 202529min

Will Meta Really Have to Sell Instagram and WhatsApp?

Will Meta Really Have to Sell Instagram and WhatsApp?

The trial between the US Federal Trade Commission and Meta began this week—and the future of the company is at stake. The FTC wants Meta to sell off two prized assets, Instagram and WhatsApp, arguing ...

15 Huhti 202517min

What The Actual Tariff

What The Actual Tariff

It’s been total chaos since President Trump announced tariffs last week. Despite the endless reporting on this story, none of it really makes any sense yet. So today, we attempt to make sense of how t...

10 Huhti 202542min

Why the Market Is Going Crazy This Week

Why the Market Is Going Crazy This Week

WIRED’s Louise Matsakis joins Zoë Schiffer, WIRED’s Director of Business & Industry, to talk about this week’s market madness and why the US probably won’t have armies of people screwing in little scr...

8 Huhti 202520min

Is Silicon Valley Actually Libertarian? (Re-Run)

Is Silicon Valley Actually Libertarian? (Re-Run)

It's long been believed that Silicon Valley is a hotbed for libertarian ideals, but where did that idea come from? Aside from some high-profile tech founders and investors who either identify as liber...

3 Huhti 202539min