Signal (Messaging app)

Signal — origin, development, and ownership

Signal is a privacy-first, end-to-end encrypted messaging application originally derived from work on the Signal Protocol and earlier secure-communication projects. The technology and apps trace their roots to early efforts by Moxie Marlinspike (initial projects under Whisper Systems/Open Whisper Systems) to build secure messaging and calling tools. Over time those projects evolved into the modern Signal app and protocol used for encrypted messaging and voice/video calls.

The brand and software are principally a U.S. creation: the Signal protocol and initial app stewardship came from Open Whisper Systems, and governance and funding were later formalized under the Signal Foundation — a United States-based nonprofit created to ensure long-term, independent development of the app. The Foundation provides organizational leadership and funding; the actual application development and distribution are carried out by Signal Messenger LLC (the operating entity associated with the Foundation), with a broad community of open-source contributors around the world.

Because Signal is software rather than a manufactured physical product, "manufacturing" is best understood as software development and operations: core development and project leadership are primarily U.S.-based, while code contributions, testing, and localization are contributed globally. The Foundation model and open-source licensing keep ownership and governance public-facing and nonprofit-led rather than being owned by a for-profit corporate parent.