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Government systems are not always optimal for the fast-paced environment officials work in, and Signal is an approved alternative for some unclassified communications, individuals familiar with government communications platforms told the Caller.
The encrypted messaging app was thrust into the public spotlight after The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to a group chat discussing strikes against the Houthis by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz
The “Houthi PC small group” chat included top officials such as Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director John Ratcliffe
Officials use apps like Signal partly because government systems are “woefully inept,” a former national security official told the Caller.
“Even working at the highest levels of government in offices that the American people probably think function like a Hollywood movie, just logging onto an email or pulling up … a simple web-page, is slow and cumbersome,” he said.
Some people are wringing their hands about Trump folks being on Signal. Why? You want them discussing their plans on government servers via traditional Deep State channels so bad actors can leak? The only mistake on this Signal chat was Goldberg, intentionally or not, being…
— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) March 26, 2025
A Pentagon watchdog launched an investigation into Hegseth’s use of Signal Thursday.
Trump administration officials denied “war plans” were included in the chat and asserted that no classified information was discussed. The Atlantic later published the messages Hegseth sent, which included information about U.S. strikes on Yemen and what weapons would be deployed, as well as a timeline for the attacks.
The Atlantic said they informed the administration they intended to publish the texts. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told the outlet that while nothing shared in the chat was classified, the administration objected to releasing the messages because they included sensitive information.
Government platforms aren’t always secure either — the Pentagon is reportedly targeted every day.
The Department of Defense (DOD) “thwarts 36 million emails full of malware, viruses and phishing schemes from hackers, terrorists and foreign adversaries” on a daily basis, according to a 2018 NextGov report.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 25: Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe (R), accompanied by FBI Director Kash Patel (L), and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (C), speaks during a Senate Committee on Intelligence Hearing on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Foreign adversaries like China have also hacked Americans’ phones.
“The main problem is we know the Chinese have hacked our telephone calls,” the former official told the Caller. “[China has] hacked our regular green bubble messages as iPhone users would call them, so Signal, WhatsApp, and iMessage are considered more secure and encrypted.”
Signal’s downloads doubled in the U.S. after the chat leaks were published, according to an App Figures report. Downloads also spiked in Yemen.
Signal encrypts messages, metadata, profile information, contact lists, who users talk to and when, President of the Signal Foundation Meredith Whittaker told TechCrunch in March 2024.
However, the former official told the Caller he believes no platform is secure.
“The Chinese have, you know, plans to the F-35,” the source noted. “We’ve been hacked up one side, down the other.”
China was accused in 2009 of hacking U.S. systems and illegally obtaining information about the F-35 program. The National Security Agency (NSA) reportedly discovered that hackers stole over 50 terabytes of data on the F-35, F-22, and the B-2 bomber.
The Biden administration authorized Signal for certain communications after the CIA approved it on government devices, a Senate leadership aide told the Caller.
“During the last administration the CIA approved the use of Signal on government devices for non-classified communications,” the source said. “[That is] meeting logistics, unclassified info exchanges, sending press stories, etc.”
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“This was largely a security review and recognition that Signal is as secure, if not more, than iMessage,” the aide added.
The Biden administration approved the use of Signal for certain White House staff for similar communications, the aide told the Caller.
“The same security considerations came into play, but had added factor of complying with Presidential Records Act (PRA),” the source said. “The main consideration is that all these exchanges had to be logged to be PRA compliant.”
The PRA of 1978 established regulations over the official records of presidents and vice presidents.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the wake of The Atlantic story that Signal is “permissible” for work use.
“One of the first things that I was briefed on very early, senator, by the CIA Records Management folks was the use of Signal as a permissible work use,” Ratcliffe said. “That is a practice that preceded the current administration to the Biden administration.”
