Did you know Signal founder Brian Acton was also WhatsApp co-founder? Know all about him

Brian Acton is the executive chairman of the Signal Foundation.

New Delhi: Instant messaging app WhatsApp and the newest entrant Signal are certainly the tech flavour of January 2021. WhatsApp has recently updated its new Terms and Privacy Policy emphasising that users will be required to agree to the same or else they may need delete their account post February 8.

This has led to a lot of discontent among users, leading to fear that now their privacy might be compromised. Comes Signal! According to data from app analytics firm Sensor Tower, Signal led the pack with over 23 lakh new downloads between January 6 and January 10. WhatsApp privacy terms came as a blessing in disguise for Signal. A thought must have cropped in your mind often as to who the person is behind Signal. It is the same person who had once co-founded WhatsApp --Brian Acton.

Here is all you want to know about Signal founder Brian Acton

Brian Acton was born in February 1972 in Michigan. He graduated with computer science from Stanford University in 1994.

He is the executive chairman of the Signal Foundation. Acton co-founded Signal with Moxie Marlinspike in 2018.

Acton had co-founded WhatsApp with Jan Koum before selling it to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg for $19 billion in 2014.

He left WhatsApp over a dispute with Facebook regarding monetisation of WhatsApp. Acton left WhatsApp in September 2017 to start the Signal Foundation.

Brian Acton has also worked with Yahoo where he had met Jan Koum. He has also worked as a product tester for Apple and Adobe. 

Before starting WhatsApp he faced rejection from big companies like Twitter and Facebook. 

Signal, as Acton says is is an independent, nonprofit organisation. Development is supported by grants and donations, similar to that of Wikipedia, and is not tied to any major tech companies.