Former President Joe Biden’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines used Signal “all the time and on her personal phone,” according to multiple career intelligence staff who spoke with the Washington Reporter.
The statements from career intelligence employees reveal that Haines, while serving as DNI, frequently used the encrypted messaging app on her personal device. These revelations come as Democrats have targeted Trump administration officials for their use of Signal after news broke that an Atlantic journalist was accidentally added to a government group chat.
“She used it all the time,” one source told the Reporter, adding that Haines specifically used Signal “on her personal phone.”
The disclosure has raised concerns among senior House Republicans, including those on the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committees, and at least one Republican lawmaker is expected to push for further answers regarding Haines' use of the app.
The Reporter previously covered how Democrats within Biden’s circle and in the US Senate have used Signal for communication. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) reportedly praised the app a few days prior to the Reporter's article. Other top intelligence officials in the Biden administration have also reportedly relied heavily on Signal to conduct their official duties.
According to Politico, top intelligence officials have informed lawmakers that discussing national security matters on Signal is a common practice. They say that the app is widely used in their agencies and even comes preinstalled on government devices.
Some federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, have warned of security vulnerabilities with Signal, saying that the app is not approved for nonpublic, unclassified information. In 2023, the Pentagon’s Office of the Inspector General criticized DOD personnel for downloading mobile apps on government devices, citing cybersecurity concerns.
Later that year, a memo to senior Pentagon leadership explicitly stated that Signal was “NOT authorized to access, transmit, process non-public DOD information,” though exemptions could be requested.
In February, the National Security Agency (NSA) issued its own warning about Signal’s security risks, stating that the app is “not approved to process or store nonpublic unclassified information.”
