After AWS's major outage, Signal's Meredith Whittaker says there “isn't really another choice” but to use AWS and “the entire stack” is “owned by 3-4 players”
Meredith Whittaker is using the AWS outage as an opportunity to highlight the 'concentration … Bluesky: @meredithmeredith , @meredithmeredith , @meredithmeredith , and @meredithmeredith Forums: r/technology , r/cybersecurity , r/privacy , and r/signal Bluesky: Meredith Whittaker / @meredithmeredith : 📣THREAD: It's surprising to me that so many people were surprised to learn that Signal runs partly on AWS (something we can do because we use encryption to make sure no one but you-not AWS, not Signal, not anyone-can access your comms). — It's also concerning. 1/ [embedded post] Meredith Whittaker / @meredithmeredith : Concerning, bc it indicates that the extent of the concentration of power in the hands of a few hyperscalers is way less widely understood than I'd assumed. Which bodes poorly for our ability to craft reality-based strategies capable of contesting this concentration & solving the real problem. 2/ Meredith Whittaker / @meredithmeredith : The question isn't “why does Signal use AWS?” It's to look at the infrastructural requirements of any global, real-time, mass comms platform and ask how it is that we got to a place where there's no realistic alternative to AWS and the other hyperscalers. 3/ Meredith Whittaker / @meredithmeredith : In short, the problem here is not that Signal ‘chose’ to run on AWS. The problem is the concentration of power in the infrastructure space that means there isn't really another choice: the entire stack, practically speaking, is owned by 3-4 players. 11/ Forums: r/technology : 'There isn't really another choice:' Signal chief explains why the encrypted messenger relies on AWS r/cybersecurity : 'There isn't really another choice:' Signal chief explains why the encrypted messenger relies on AWS r/privacy : 'There isn't really another choice:' Signal chief explains why the encrypted messenger relies on AWS r/signal : 'There isn't really another choice:' Signal chief explains why the encrypted messenger relies on AWS