American officials' signal blunder exposes Yemen attack plans
American officials accidentally added a journalist to a Signal chat, revealing plans for an attack on the Houthis in Yemen. How did this happen, and what does it mean for security?
What do you need to know?
- Signal is a messaging application that offers end-to-end encryption, meaning only the participants of a conversation can access its content.
- In February 2025, American officials inadvertently added a journalist to a Signal chat where military plans regarding attacks on Yemen were being discussed.
- The Pentagon prohibits using the application for transmitting classified information, raising questions about the compliance of the officials' actions with regulations.
Signal: How did the leak of secret information occur?
American officials accidentally added the editor of "The Atlantic" to a group chat on Signal, where military plans for attacks on Yemen were discussed. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes confirmed the authenticity of the messages, adding that an analysis is underway on how the wrong number was added to the chat.
Signal, known for its high level of security, offers end-to-end encryption, meaning even the application itself cannot access the content of conversations. However, in this case, human error led to the disclosure of potentially classified information.
Did Hegseth break Pentagon rules?
Pentagon rules clearly state that messaging applications are not authorised to handle classified information. Nonetheless, some officials in the Joe Biden administration may have used Signal on their work phones, provided they do not share classified information there.
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When discussing military plans, such as attacks on Yemen, there is a high probability that this information was classified as secret. This questions the compliance of the officials' actions with the current regulations.
One of the members of the Signal group was the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth.
Serious consequences for security
Signal, being an open-source application, allows users to verify whether it indeed operates as claimed. Signal Foundation president Meredith Whittaker assures that the application, with its advanced encryption, cannot relay data even to law enforcement agencies.
However, the incident involving American officials shows that even the best technological safeguards can be undermined by human errors. This highlights the necessity of exercising caution and adhering to security rules when using messaging applications.
