Cross-platform encrypted messaging service Signal has added an easy way for users to report and block spam straight from message request screens with a single mouse click.
“To squash out spam across the network, we added recourse for recipients if an unwanted inbound message appears. When you block a user from the message request screen, you can also report the message as spam,” Signal said.
“Other services may use this as an opportunity to collect unencrypted conversation content or to upload additional information used to identify spam campaigns. Signal is committed to your privacy, and does not do this, so we take a different approach.”
When clicking “Report Spam and Block,” your device will send both the sender’s phone number and a message ID to Signal’s servers.
If the same phone number gets reported multiple times or shows signs of being used as a platform for automated spam, Signal will ask for a “proof of humanity” that will block additional messages from being sent until a challenge (e.g., a CAPTCHA) is completed.
