All Brands Owned by Signal Foundation

Who owns Signal Foundation?
Signal Foundation is an independent non-profit organization with no owners. It operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit governed by a board of directors. The foundation cannot be owned by shareholders or acquired by other entities. This structure ensures that Signal's incentives are aligned with user privacy rather than profit maximization.

Is Signal Foundation publicly traded?
No, Signal Foundation is not publicly traded. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, it cannot issue stock or be traded on public markets. The organization is funded through donations and the initial endowment from Brian Acton. Signal Foundation's annual IRS filings are publicly available, providing transparency into its finances.

Who founded Signal Foundation?
Signal Foundation was co-founded in February 2018 by Moxie Marlinspike, creator of the Signal messaging application and the Signal Protocol, and Brian Acton, co-founder of WhatsApp. Acton provided the initial $50 million funding commitment, later increased to $100 million, after leaving Facebook over disagreements about WhatsApp's data sharing with Facebook.

Who is the CEO of Signal?
Meredith Whittaker serves as President of Signal Foundation, a role she has held since 2022. Whittaker previously worked at Google for 13 years and co-founded the AI Now Institute at New York University. Moxie Marlinspike, who created Signal and served as CEO of Signal Messenger, stepped down from that role in January 2022.

How does Signal make money?
Signal does not make money in the traditional sense. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Signal Foundation is funded through donations from individuals and organizations who support its privacy mission, along with the initial $100 million endowment from Brian Acton. Signal does not display advertising, charge subscription fees, or sell user data. The application is free to download and use.

How many people use Signal?
Signal has more than 50 million monthly active users globally as of 2026. The app experienced a significant surge in new users in January 2021 following WhatsApp's privacy policy changes, and user growth has continued driven by increasing privacy concerns and awareness of data collection practices by commercial technology platforms.