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Not yet reviewed by a lawyer. Sourced information, to be confirmed.

Signal groups: vetting

Signal groups: overview

Terms used here: the groups (public, airlock, trusted), the roles (HR, keyholder…) and the vocabulary.

Validating: graduated trust

The meeting is a first contact. Each person is vetted, not the airlock: an airlock can include people vetted the same day and others who are waiting, and newcomers never vouch for each other. Validation then depends on the group's level:

Public criteria, private thresholds

These criteria are public on purpose: a group's security does not rest on keeping its method secret. The thresholds (how many actions are watched, how many members go along, how long a decision takes) are not given as numbers here: each group chooses its own (for example, two actions and 48 hours to join the trusted group, where nothing sensitive is written) and adds its own warning signs, without publishing them. The more sensitive what the person will access, the higher the threshold: for a sensitive sub-group, no number is given here. Anything about assessing people is said out loud: nothing about it is written in a group.

What does "vetted" mean? Three checks, each answering a different question:

What is checked Question Who, how Time
The account Is this Signal account really that of the person in front of me? The secretary scans the safety-number QR code: the account is marked "verified", and nobody can pose as them with another account1 10 seconds
The person Does someone reliable really know them? A voucher who knows them outside the movement, or has seen them act at several actions, confirms it privately to the secretary Immediate if someone knows them; a few weeks otherwise
The settings Might they expose the group through carelessness? The secretary, then HR: activist name, no photo, hidden number, no duplicate name 5 minutes
  • Fast path, when someone already knows them: meeting in the airlock group (15 minutes of settings and QR scan), the voucher's confirmation, cleaning the airlock group, HR's second check, the trusted group's link. The same day.
  • Slow path, when nobody knows them: they come to actions for a few weeks. This time can't be shortened: it is the only way to get to know someone.
  • What vetting doesn't guarantee: intentions. A malicious person with a genuine voucher will get through; hence "nothing illegal in writing" and compartmentalising into sub-groups.

Joining the trusted group Three overlapping circles: met in person by a secretary, known to a voucher, profile checked by HR. Only their intersection gives access to the trusted group. Met in person by a secretary Known to a voucher Profile checked by HR Trusted group

To join You need
The trusted group (nothing sensitive is written there) A vetted secretary who has met the person, set up their settings with them and scanned their account's QR code, one voucher, then the second check by HR, who add them
A sensitive sub-group (medics, legal, logistics…) Two vouchers who really know the person, after a period in the trusted group; the sub-group's keyholder adds them
  • Vouchers don't need to be in the airlock group: they are vetted members who know the person elsewhere (friend, colleague, neighbour, union comrade). They confirm it privately to the secretary.
  • Nobody knows them? They come to public actions for a few weeks; vetted members who have seen them in action and talked with them can then vouch for them.
  • Met at a protest, even as a medic? That is not yet knowing them: anyone can wear a medic armband or a legal observer vest, and these teams' sub-groups are sensitive. No direct adding to a trusted group. However, having seen them act at several actions and talked with them means you can vouch for them; and if they come from a known collective (street medics, legal team), a vetted member who knows that collective can be their voucher.
  • A very active person? A vetted member who has acted alongside them at several actions proposes them to a secretary and becomes their voucher. The secretary meets them, on the spot during an action if needed (scanning a QR code takes 10 seconds), then HR add them: the same day or the next. Unions, associations and collectives help too: a vetted member who knows them through their union or collective can be their voucher straight away.
  • Newcomers never vouch for each other: several malicious people who arrived together would validate each other. No votes either, nor any threshold of "yes" votes.
  • A single serious doubt is enough to wait: the secretary raises it with HR, who settle it.
  • Signal warns when two members of a group have the same name: check it, it may be impersonation.2
  • Never ask for ID, photos, address or employer: it creates a dangerous file if seized, and proves nothing.
  • Warning signs: someone who pushes for illegal or violent action, asks for names, addresses or the list of groups, or wants to get into everything straight away; a secretary validating many people at once; a voucher who keeps coming up.
  • No trust list. A list of "who has met whom", on paper, in a Signal group or in an online voting tool, draws the map of your network: one seized phone or the tool's server is enough to hand it over in full. Nothing is passed on in writing; the register never records who vouched for whom.
  • At the very start, in a city with no vetted members yet, the first core is a group of people who already know each other in person: they are the first vetted members, secretaries and vouchers.

Two ways into the trusted group

A person comes in by the open path (nobody knows them yet) or by co-option (a vetted member already knows them). Either way, each person is vetted: QR code scanned, settings done, a voucher and HR's second check. The detail of each route follows: the open path and co-option.

The open path

  1. Public group
  2. Airlock group: a meeting, then a rendezvous at others' action
  3. Vouchers after several actions, then HR's second check
  4. Trusted group

Co-option

  1. A vetted member proposes someone they know
  2. Meeting with a secretary, one-to-one or on the spot
  3. The proposing member is the voucher, then HR's second check
  4. Trusted group
Way in The open path Co-option
For whom Someone nobody knows yet Someone a vetted member already knows (friend, colleague, union, seen in action at several actions)
Through The public group, then an airlock group and a meeting The vetted member proposes them directly to a secretary, without the public group or an airlock group
Meeting In the airlock group, then at an action organised by others One-to-one, or on the spot during an action
Watching in action Several actions, with vetted members who watch and report to HR Already done: the proposing member knows them or has seen them act
Voucher Vetted members who saw them act themselves; one is enough The member who proposed them
Adding By HR, from the airlock By HR, by username, from a private conversation (no link)
Time Several actions The same day or the next
Limits Filters out opportunists, not a determined infiltrator; depends on how many vetted members go along A malicious person with a real voucher will get through; no vouching between newcomers

Open-door recruitment: watching them act

With open-door recruitment, most people have no voucher. The preferred route is to watch them act, rather than rely on the airlock conversation: a conversation can rule a person out (warning signs) but not vet them, because a story can be prepared. These are organising rules, not law.

Open-door vetting through the airlock group Six steps: airlock, cleaned and renamed airlock, meeting at an action organised by others, private report to HR, voucher, then HR second check and adding to the trusted group. Two side cases: a warning sign or doubt means waiting, and someone already known to a vetted member takes the fast route. 1 Airlock: first meeting Settings, QR code scanned, at least 2 vetted members present Secretary 2 Airlock "cleaned" and renamed Remove absentees, people not met, alerts. Used only to arrange to meet Secretary 3 Meet at others' action Several actions; a vetted buddy goes along and watches Vetted 4 Private report to HR Observed facts, out loud if possible; no written list Vetted 5 Voucher At least one vetted member who personally saw the person act Vetted 6 HR second check Then added to the trusted group by HR HR Warning sign or doubt → wait; preventive pause possible Already known to a vetted member → fast route: steps 1, 5, 6

Each person follows this route, the whole airlock is not vetted at once: the airlock is for the meeting then the rendezvous, vetting happens in action.
  1. The airlock: meeting, settings, account QR code scanned (see the airlock group).
  2. The airlock, cleaned and renamed: it is used only to arrange to meet in person at an action or demonstration organised by others (a union, a collective). No action is planned there: the action is the organisers', and its time and place are already public. Remove absentees, people not yet met and anyone who triggered a warning sign; keep people who were met but are not yet vetted. The group takes a neutral name, with no movement or city, and one-day disappearing messages, set before anything else. Only the meeting point is written, nothing about people. It remains a list of the people who were met: assume the police can read it. It stays open while people await a decision (several actions, at least two): each person leaves it when added to the trusted group or ruled out, and it is closed when nobody is waiting any more (see also the temporary group, for organising without going through an airlock).
  3. Acting together, with these safeguards:
    • Several vetted members go along, each with one or two newcomers: not a tight block of newcomers.
    • Several actions before vouching, never just one: a prepared person behaves well in just one.
    • What you watch for: calm, mutual aid, respect for the charter; no pushing towards the illegal or violence, no photos of others, no questions about names or groups.
    • Each vetted member reports privately, out loud if possible, to the secretary or an HR member what they saw: observed facts (calm, mutual aid, charter, warning signs), not a judgement on the person nor a "safe / not safe". Each vetted member who has personally seen the person act at a demonstration can vouch: one voucher is enough for the trusted group, several strengthen the decision of HR, who decide. No hearsay vouching: nobody vouches because someone else did. Never vouching between newcomers. Nothing is written down durably with names.
    • No list of who came is kept. A spoken debrief with HR, the same day.
    • No public pointing out: never "X does nothing" or "Y is too aggressive" in the group. Talk in person: nothing is asked or criticised in the group, which is only for the rendezvous, and a doubt goes privately to HR (preventive pause).
    • The group is closed when nobody is waiting for a decision any more.
  4. Vouchers, HR second check, adding: as for everyone else.

The limits, stated plainly:

  • This route filters out opportunists, not a determined infiltrator: a prepared person behaves well through several actions. It lowers the risk without removing it, hence the trusted group where nothing sensitive is written and the two vouchers for sub-groups. Never call a person "safe".
  • The pace depends on how many vetted members are willing to go along.
  • Not everyone can go to a demonstration (disability, working hours, children, immigration status). The "action" can be a public meeting, leafleting or a drop-in. See Protesting without French nationality and Disability or chronic illness.

Recruiting by co-option: a vetted member proposes

When a vetted member already knows the person (friend, colleague, union, seen in action at several actions), they do not need to go through the public group or the airlock: it is the fastest route, often the same day or the next. These are organising rules, not law.

Joining by co-option Five steps: a vetted member proposes someone they know, meeting with a secretary, the member is the voucher, HR second check, adding to the trusted group. Without going through the public group or the airlock. 1 A vetted member proposes someone they already know Vetted 2 Meeting with a secretary One-to-one or on the spot; QR code scanned, settings done Secretary 3 The member is the voucher Or several, if they saw them act themselves Vetted 4 HR second check A single serious doubt is enough to wait HR 5 Adding to the trusted group By username, from a private conversation; no link HR No public group or airlock → often the same day or the next Never vouching between newcomers, nor a vote

Joining by co-option: a vetted member who already knows the person proposes them, without going through the public group or the airlock.
  • The proposing member is the voucher, and introduces the person privately to a secretary. Several members who saw them act themselves can vouch.
  • The meeting is one-to-one, or on the spot during an action (scanning a QR code takes 10 seconds): account QR code scanned, settings done.
  • Adding is done by HR, by username, from a private conversation: no group link or QR code.
  • Same checks as everywhere: no vouching between newcomers, no vote, and a single serious doubt is enough to wait.

Starting without a network

In a city where nobody has yet seen each other in action, these levers are organising choices:

  • Grow the public group and the airlocks first, not the trusted group: the public group holds nothing sensitive and can reach 1,000 people.3 Several airlocks a week do not limit growth.
  • Multiply the chances to see each other other than demonstrations: public meetings, leafleting, assemblies, roundabouts.
  • Look for vouchers in networks that already exist (unions, associations, collectives, neighbours): a vetted member who knows a person's collective can vouch for them straight away.
  • Meet twice: a second airlock with the same person, a few days later, gives something to vouch on.
  • At the very start, the core goes along and watches: the first people, who already know each other in person, are the first vetted members and form the pairs above.

Previous : Recruiting and meeting · Next : Creating and configuring groups

In one of these situations? new to the Signal organising groups

Sources

Each note links to the source of the information. Most sources are in French. Laws change: check the date of the source and, if in doubt, ask a lawyer.

  1. EFF Surveillance Self-Defense — How to use Signal · AI-sourced on · awaiting human check ↩

  2. Signal — Phone number privacy and usernames deeper dive · AI-sourced on · awaiting human check ↩

  3. Signal — Group chats · AI-sourced on · awaiting human check ↩

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