Founder Signal steps down as CEO

Moxie Marlinspike, the American who developed and founded Signal as a company, is stepping down as CEO. There is no successor yet. WhatsApp founder Brian Acton will temporarily take over the position while the company searches for a suitable candidate.

Marlinspike won’t say why he decided to step down after almost ten years, but says he has been preparing for it in recent years. For example, he only writes little code and he no longer always has to be available for emergencies. Thirty people now work at the chat app.

The founder remains on the board of the company. He will hand over his duties in the coming month. Acton, who is already on the board of the chat app, will act as interim CEO. It is unknown how long that period will last. Marlinspike is the first CEO of the chat app. WhatsApp uses Signal’s protocol for encryption. The chat app itself is one of the competitors for WhatsApp.