I've seen this reaction a few times. Can you say more? Presumably Signal users value privacy, and the implication is that when hacking tools used to violate that privacy are applied to a device running Signal, it may try to interfere and prevent the extraction to some degree. This seems like an ideal feature for a private messenger.
In contrast, it would strike me as strange if a Signal user switched to another messenger that allowed the data extraction because they were uncomfortable with Signal blocking it.
It's kind've hard to argue about having random unknown data laying around, but...
The insinuation that my device may be host to something potentially malicious is concerning. It gets a little worse that it can change, without notice. I'd tend to trust Signal and their security, but the potential for that mechanism to be hijacked is always present. They've certainly made it hard, though, and I think the folks at Signal are probably clever enough that my anemic observations don't tell the whole story.
Everyone can inspect the Signal app's source code, though, and make sure that nothing funny is happening with the "aesthetically pleasing" files it downloads.
> The insinuation that my device may be host to something potentially malicious is concerning. It gets a little worse that it can change, without notice.
Do you use an iPhone or a phone with Google Play Services on it?
Those both have the technical capability of receiving targeted updates.
Not just that. In the case of Google Play Services, SafetyNet also downloads random binary blobs from Google and executes them as root. Makes me feel a lot… safer about my phone.
In contrast, it would strike me as strange if a Signal user switched to another messenger that allowed the data extraction because they were uncomfortable with Signal blocking it.