The Signal app is facing scrutiny after reports revealed that top Trump officials used it to discuss military plans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance allegedly exchanged messages about strikes in Yemen. The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to the chat.
Goldberg published an article describing his unexpected access to the discussion. He initially doubted the chat’s authenticity but later confirmed its legitimacy. The National Security Council stated that the messages appeared authentic.
Signal captures voice and video calls and their associated messaging as well. Group chats can include as many people as1000 and disappear in self-destructing messages. Also, unlike Telegram, Signal allows for disappearing messages to be set as the default. The company claims that it does not store its users' data.
Cybersecurity experts recognize Signal as more secure than standard texting. However, the NSA issued a security alert in February 2025, warning that Signal is a high-value target for surveillance. Signal responded stating that the warning referred to phishing attacks, not flaws in its encryption.
Government Officials utilize Signal to talk privately. But its use in discussions about the military is questionable because unsecure platforms have a hard time protecting classified information. Legally, this breaches national security laws and former high officials said Biden administration staff had their use of Signals approval limited.
Democratic lawmakers are calling for an investigation. They argue that discussing sensitive information on a private app violates federal record-keeping laws. The Atlantic reported that messages in the group chat were set to disappear after weeks, raising additional legal concerns.
Trump stated he was unaware of the Signal discussions but acknowledged its widespread use. He has asked national security officials to review the app’s use by government personnel.