Signal, a secure messaging app, was taken down after a surge of users left WhatsApp, a Facebook-owned company.

Allegations that WhatsApp forces users to share data with its parent company, Facebook, have led many users to abandon WhatsApp in search of a more secure service. Signal, backed by the likes of Elon Musk and whistleblower Edward Snowden, is at the forefront of the transition.

Signal itself has acknowledged the problem on its Twitter account and is working hard to fix it, citing a technical issue; Tom's Guide was able to confirm that Signal's messages were not being delivered.

The consensus on social media is that Signal is struggling under the weight of so many new users that everyone should be patient.

This is not the first time such an influx of users has caused problems. Last week, Signal announced that its authentication code was delayed thanks to the number of people trying to sign up.

Similarly, users have reported other problems with the app struggling to keep up with demand, including issues with group settings and delays in displaying contacts. Since Elon Musk endorsed Signal last week, it is estimated that an average of 3,900 new users are using Signal every minute.

This is much like trying to buy a PS5, but without having to fight duffers for inventory.

Signal has an estimated 20 million users as of the end of 2020, with another 40 million or so joining in the last few days. Therefore, server problems can be expected.

On January 4, WhatsApp quietly changed its privacy policy, stating that as of February 8, users will no longer be able to opt out of data sharing with parent company Facebook, allowing Facebook to view your WhatsApp messages. The reports spread quickly across the Internet.

While WhatsApp denies this and claims that data sharing has not changed at all since 2016, the damage was done.

Facebook's history of privacy protection is quite poor, and this news was a strong reminder that WhatsApp, however useful, is still part of Facebook.

Signal uses the same end-to-end encryption protocol as WhatsApp and is easy to use, but it is owned and operated by a non-profit foundation. The foundation's CEO co-developed WhatsApp and sold it to Facebook, but left a few years later when Facebook began interfering with WhatsApp.

Signal is not the only app with a rapidly growing user base. Another messaging app, Telegram, has gained more than 25 million new users, if estimates are correct. At the time of this writing, Telegram does not appear to have any problems.

If you are going to use Signal, you will have to wait patiently and not be distracted by problems. Few development teams can easily handle an influx of tens of millions of people, and Signal will work hard to get everything back up and running.