‘There isn’t really another choice:’ Signal chief explains why the encrypted messenger relies on AWS
Signal president Meredith Whittaker says there simply “isn’t really another choice” when it comes to cloud infrastructure. After a major AWS outage took Signal offline last week, Whittaker defended the app’s reliance on Amazon Web Services (AWS), pointing to the concentration of power in the tech industry.
AWS outage sparks debate over Signal’s infrastructure choices
Following the AWS outage, which affected several major platforms, Elon Musk criticized Signal for depending on big tech infrastructure. But Whittaker pushed back, saying “There isn’t really another choice: Signal relies on AWS” because of the limited options available in today’s cloud ecosystem.
In a post on Bluesky, Whittaker clarified that Signal didn’t choose AWS for convenience — it’s simply the only practical option. “The problem here is not that Signal chose to run on AWS,” she explained. “The problem is the concentration of power in the infrastructure space that means there isn’t really another choice.”
Only a few players control the cloud industry
Whittaker highlighted a troubling reality: just three or four hyperscalers — AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Oracle — dominate the cloud infrastructure market. This concentration, she says, leaves little room for smaller, privacy-focused companies like Signal to operate independently.
“The question isn’t ‘why does Signal use AWS?’” Whittaker wrote. “It’s about how we reached a point where global, real-time communication platforms have no realistic alternative.”
Why Signal can’t easily move away from AWS
Running an encrypted messaging app requires global uptime, strong data protection, and massive scalability. Whittaker explained that maintaining these standards independently would require resources only the largest tech firms possess.
Switching away from AWS isn’t as simple as migrating servers — it involves complex infrastructure, redundancy systems, and compliance requirements that small organizations can’t easily replicate.
What this means for users and the tech industry
Whittaker’s remarks shed light on a broader issue: the centralization of digital infrastructure. Even privacy-first platforms like Signal must rely on big tech to function reliably. This dependency raises critical questions about competition, transparency, and the future of open, decentralized internet services.
For users, the takeaway is clear — even privacy-centric platforms operate within an ecosystem controlled by a few dominant players. And as cloud computing continues to consolidate, the challenge of maintaining independence in tech will only grow.
Post a Comment