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Privacy-focused messaging app Signal has been flying high in the Dutch app stores this past month, sitting many days as the most downloaded free app on iOS and Android for all categories, per data from multiple app-tracking platforms such as Sensor Tower.The app has experienced surges in popularity through the years, often in response to policy changes at rivals like WhatsApp or geopolitical events. Thats because Signal has made a name for itself as a more privacy-friendly option its operated by a not-for-profit foundation (albeit one based in the U.S.) rather than a private business known for monetizing data. Moreover, Signal tracks minimal metadata.In 2025, with a new U.S. president empowered by Big Techs warm embrace, its not unusual that digital privacy tools are having a moment particularly in Europe, which has attracted President Trumps ire.But whats eye-catching this time around is Signals prominence in one very specific locale the Netherlands.Signal data from Sensor TowerImage Credits:Sensor Tower / screenshotIn an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf last week, Signal president Meredith Whittaker noted that the number of new registrations in the Netherlands were higher this year by a factor of 25, though its not clear what the exact comparative period of time is for this data.When asked why the Netherlands has seen such growth, Whittaker pointed to a combination of factors: Growing awareness of privacy, distrust of big tech, and the political reality in which people realize how vulnerable digital communication can be, Whittaker said.Data provided to TechCrunch from app intelligence firm AppFigures charts Signals rise in the Netherlands. Per its data, it said that Signal was the 365th ranked non-game iPhone app on January 1 in the Netherlands and it wasnt showing up at all in the top overall apps list. Then, starting around January 5, it began to climb the charts in the Netherlands, and by February 2 it hit top spot overall.Signal has dipped in and out of the lead in the intervening weeks, spending around half of February at the summit including each day since February 22. Digging down into the data, AppFigures estimates that the total number of downloads across Apple and Googles app stores amounted to around 22,000 in December (2024). This increased to 99,000 in January, and then 233,000 through February a 958% rise since December. While its possible that some of this growth could be attributed to Signal having a lower saturation of downloads compared to other markets, the apps sustained position at the top of the charts relative to similar-sized neighboring markets is notable. No other markets come close to the Netherlands in terms of growth between December and February, AppFigures told TechCrunch.For comparison, the closest are Belgium, which has seen downloads grow by more than 250% since December; Sweden growing by 153%; and Denmark growing by 95%.So why might Signal be experiencing what one Redditor called a mass adoption moment in the Netherlands, specifically?Clear signalRejo Zenger, senior policy advisor at Dutch digital rights foundation Bits of Freedom, said that while its difficult to pinpoint one specific reason, he said hes not surprised.Recent developments in the U.S. have seen the big platform providers fall in line behind the new Trump regime, and this has stoked significant public and media debate. Europes reliance on technology belonging to huge private U.S. companies has been highlighted in that debate.The Dutch are, just like many others, highly dependent on the infrastructure provided by extremely dominant tech companies, mostly from the U.S., Zenger told TechCrunch. What this means, and the risks that come from this, have been nicely demonstrated in the past few weeks. As a result, the public debate in the Netherlands has been relatively sharp. Where in the past this problem was only discussed on the level of which instant messenger should I use, I feel now we are having the debate on higher levels as well: we should get rid of this dependency.In that context, the public could be conflating dominance with data protection abuse. With companies like Meta regularly being investigated and fined over data privacy practices, Signal might appear the lesser evil: its based in the U.S., but operated by a non-profit that promises to encrypt not only message content, but the metadata around it. Vincent Bhre, director at Dutch privacy organization Privacy First, also pointed to a media-driven increase in awareness and a broader shift in public opinion.Ever since Trump was re-elected in the U.S. a few months ago, there has been a lot of bashing of Trump and [Elon] Musk in Dutch and European mainstream media, including bashing of American Big Tech companies, which now seem to be supportive of Trump, Bhre told TechCrunch. Articles criticizing X [formerly Twitter] and Meta have been popping up in Dutch media everywhere, leading to a shift in Dutch public opinion: even people who never really knew or cared about privacy and security in social media, have now suddenly become interested in privacy-friendly alternatives, Signal in particular.Signal of intentSigna President Meredith Whittaker at Web Summit, in Lisbon on November 4, 2022Image Credits:PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP / Getty ImagesWhile the Netherlands is just one market of 18 million people in a European population of more than 700 million, a surge in that market alone could be seen as a bellwether for sentiment across the continent, at a time when governments are seeking to bring down privacy barriers.Apple, for example, recently pulled end-to-end encryption from iCloud in the U.K. to counter government efforts to install a backdoor. Speaking at RightsCon 25 in Taiwan this week, Whittaker reaffirmed a position she has stated many times in the past: Signal wont compromise on privacy.Signals position on this is very clear - we will not walk-back, adulterate, or otherwise perturb the robust privacy and security guarantees that people depend on, Whittaker said. Whether that perturbation or backdoor is called client-side scanning, or the stripping of the encryption protections from one or another features similar to what Apple was pushed into doing in the U.K.Separately, in an interview with Swedish public broadcaster SVT, Whittaker said that it wouldnt acquiesce to a proposed new Swedish law requiring messaging app-makers to store messages.In practice, this means asking us to break the encryption that is the foundation of our entire business, Whittaker said. Asking us to store data would undermine our entire architecture and we would never do that. We would rather leave the Swedish market completely.TechCrunch reached out to Signal for comment, but hadnt heard back at the time of publishing.
