Messaging app Signal is getting a new interim CEO in Brian Acton, the WhatsApp co-founder who left Facebook on bad terms several years ago.
Outgoing Signal CEO Moxie Marlinspike announced today that he’s stepping down after spending almost a decade developing the code behind the encrypted messaging service.
“It has always been my goal for Signal to grow and sustain beyond my involvement,” Marlinspike wrote in a blog post. Four years ago, he was in charge of writing most of the code for the Signal messaging service. Since then, the development team has expanded to 30 people.
“Simultaneously, Signal has grown in adoption and popularity around the world even faster than I imagined,” he added. “It’s difficult to overstate how important Signal is to me, but I now feel very comfortable replacing myself as CEO based on the team we have, and also believe that it is an important step for expanding on Signal’s success.”
Marlinspike will remain a board member for the Signal Technology Foundation, which helps run the app. He’s also been interviewing candidates to replace him. But in the meantime, he’s tapping Acton to lead as interim CEO.
“I have every confidence in his commitment to the mission and ability to facilitate the team for this time,” Marlinspike said.
Acton is perhaps best known for founding WhatsApp with computer programmer Jan Koum. The duo sold their messaging app to Facebook in 2014 for $16 billion. However, Acton eventually left the social network in 2017 on bad terms over Facebook’s plan to monetize WhatsApp.
He then joined with Marlinspike to found Signal, an end-to-end encrypted app that competes with WhatsApp for users. In 2018, Acton also voiced his opposition to Facebook by tweeting out: “It is time. #deletefacebook,” amid the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Like Marlinspike, Acton also currently serves as a board member on the Signal Technology Foundation.
