Privacy Messaging application signal Flied high in Dutch application stores last month, seated for several days like the most downloaded free application on iOS and Android for all Categories, according to data from several applications monitoring platforms Like the sensor tower.
The application has experienced popularity overvoltages over the years, often in response to Policy changes among rivals like WhatsApp Or geopolitical events. Indeed, Signal has made a name as a more user -friendly option for confidentiality – it is used by a non -profit foundation (although based in the United States) rather than a private company known for data monetization. In addition, the signal follows minimum metadata.
In 2025, with a new American president empowered by the heat of Big Tech, it is not unusual that digital confidentiality tools have a moment – especially in Europe, which has Ire of President Trump attracted.
But what is catchy this time is the signal prominence in a very specific place-the Netherlands.
In a interview with Dutch Télégraaf newspaper last week, signaling president Meredith Whittaker Note that the number of “new registrations” in the Netherlands was higher this year by a factor of 25, although it is not clear what is the exact comparative period for this data.
When asked why the Netherlands have experienced such growth, Whittaker underlined a combination of factors: “An increasing conscience of privacy, distrust of major technologies and the political reality in which people realize how vulnerable digital communication can be,” said Whittaker.
Data provided to Techcrunch of the Intelligence Firm app Appfigures The graphics report the rise of the Netherlands. According to his data, he said that signal was the 365th iPhone application not contained from January 1 in the Netherlands and that it did not appear at all in the list of superior global applications. Then, from January 5, he began to climb the charts in the Netherlands and, on February 2, he reached first place overall.
The signal plunged into and out of the advance in the intermediate weeks, spending about half of February at the top – including every day since February 22. Cerry in data, Appfigures estimates that the total number of downloads in Apple and Google application stores amounted to around 22,000 in December (2024). This increased to 99,000 in January, then 233,000 to February – an increase of 958% since December.
If it is possible that part of this growth can be attributed to the signal with a lower saturation of downloads compared to other markets, the sustained position of the application at the top of the graphics compared to the neighboring markets of similar size is notable.
“No other market is getting closer to the Netherlands in terms of growth between December and February,” appfigures at Techcrunch told.
For comparison, the closest are Belgium, which has seen downloads increase by more than 250% since December; Sweden increased by 153%; and Denmark increasing by 95%.
So why could we bring to life what a reditor called “mass adoption moment»In the Netherlands, in particular?
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Rejo ZengerSenior Policy Advisor to Dutch Digital Rights Foundation Bits of freedomsaid that if it is difficult to determine a specific reason, he said he was not surprised.
Recent developments in the United States have seen Large platform suppliers fall online Behind the new regime of Trump, which attracted a public debate and the media. The dependence of Europe with regard to technology belonging to huge private American companies has been highlighted in this debate.
“The Dutch are, like many others, very dependent on the infrastructure provided by extremely dominant technological companies, mainly from the United States,” Zenger told Techcrunch. “What it means and the risks that have resulted from it have been well demonstrated in the past few weeks. As a result, public debate in the Netherlands was relatively clear. Where in the past, this problem has only been discussed on the level of ‘What instant messenger should I use“I think we also have the debate at higher levels:”We have to get rid of this dependence. ‘”
In this context, the public could confuse domination with data protection violence. With companies like Meta regularly investigation And a fine On data confidentiality practices, the signal may appear for the slightest evil: it is based in the United States, but exploited by a non-profit organization which promises to encrypt not only message content, But the metadata around.
Vincent BöhreDirector of the Dutch Privacy Organization Intimacy firstalso underlined an increase in the media of awareness and a broader change in public opinion.
“Since Trump was re-elected to the United States a few months ago, there was a lot of” denigration “of Trump and [Elon] Musk in the Dutch – and European media -, including the denigration of large American technological companies, which now seem to support Trump, “Böhre told Techcrunch. “Articles Criticizing X [formerly Twitter] And Meta appeared in the Dutch media everywhere, leading to a change in Dutch public opinion: even people who did not know or really cared about privacy and security in social media, suddenly interested in alternatives “ adapted to privacy, ” said in particular. “”
Intention signal
Although the Netherlands is only a market of 18 million people in a European population of more than 700 million, an increase in this market alone could be considered a Belwether for feeling through the continent, at a time when governments seek to reduce barriers to confidentiality.
Apple, for example, recently End -to -end encryption From iCloud to the United Kingdom to counter the government’s efforts to install a stolen door.
Be expressed at Rightscon 25 In Taiwan this week, Whittaker reaffirmed a post she declared several times in the past: The signal will not compromise confidentiality.
“The position of the signal on this subject is very clear – we do not go through, do not disturb or disrupt solid confidentiality and security on which people depend”, Whittaker said. “Whether this disturbance or stolen door is called the client side scan, or the stripping of the encryption protections of one or the other of the characteristics similar to what Apple has been pushed to do in the United Kingdom”
Separately, in a interview with The Swedish public broadcaster SVT, Whittaker, said that he would not accept a new proposed Swedish law forcing mail manufacturers to store messages.
“In practice, it means asking us to break the encryption which is the foundation of our entire business,” said Whittaker. “We ask to store data would undermine our whole architecture and we would never do it. We prefer to leave the Swedish market completely. »»
Techcrunch stretched out to report comments, but had not heard of the publication.
