Messaging app Signal hires former Google organizer Meredith Whittaker

Signal has hired Meredith Whittaker, a former Google manager who has been outspoken about the harms of Big Tech, as its first president, adding to the roster of tech critics leading the encrypted messaging app.

In the crowded market for messaging apps, Signal stands apart. It’s committed to encryption in an industry built on collecting personal data. It’s run by a nonprofit, but competes against WhatsApp and iMessage, backed by some of the richest companies in…