Comma Compliance

Encrypted messaging

Your team uses Signal for privacy. Regulators still want the records.

Full Signal functionality, no app modifications.

Signal conversations between your team and clients are business records under SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA Reg S-P. Comma captures them at point of delivery, open-source code, no device installation, no changes to how Signal works, and stores everything in a tamper-proof, exam-ready archive.

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Integrations from your Comma Compliance dashboard to set up Signal

Real-time Signal capture

Comma captures Signal messages as they’re delivered, with no on-device software or MDM, no battery drain, and no third-party tools.

Signal capture is included in Comma’s flat $33/user/month. No add-on, no surcharge, no metered usage. See pricing.

Setup takes one step. Your employee scans a QR code from the Comma dashboard. From that point, every encrypted business Signal message is captured and stored automatically.

We work the way Signal works:

Business Messages on Signal

  • 1:1 and group chats across iOS, Android, and desktop
  • Captured securely via Signal's encrypted flow
  • Personal and corporate Signal accounts supported

Message Context, Fully Preserved

  • Timestamps, participant details, and media attachments
  • Messages retained in conversation order, exam-ready for export

What We Don’t Retain

  • Messages from personal contacts
  • Local data on the employee's device

Why Comma Works for Signal

For your compliance team

  • NLP supervision

    Comma's AI engine prioritizes critical messages, slashes false positives, and reduces analyst fatigue. We let humans call the shots, not algorithms alone.

  • Offline resilience

    If a phone goes offline, Comma still receives the message. Nothing slips through.

  • Regulator-ready storage

    Messages go directly to immutable archives that support SEC Rule 17a-4, FINRA Reg S-P, and more. Archived threads cannot be deleted.

For your IT team

  • Open-source connectors

    Inspect every step. Our Signal capture path is public, peer-reviewed, and available to audit or self-host.

  • Zero-exposure architecture

    Comma captures messages from the Signal network. No unencrypted data on phones, no saved private keys, no unprotected credentials on the device.

For your employees

  • No local footprint

    Our compliance software doesn't run on your employees' phones. Zero battery drain and no privacy concerns.

  • True-to-Signal experience

    We don't block, intercept, or degrade Signal functionality. Your team uses it as intended.

How to Archive Signal Messages for FINRA Compliance

FINRA Rule 4511 and SEC Rule 17a-4 require firms to retain business communications, including Signal messages, and make them available for exam. That obligation applies regardless of whether Signal is officially approved or used informally. Firms need a capture solution, a retention policy, and a supervision workflow.

  1. Adopt a written supervisory procedure

    Governs Signal use and designates it as a monitored channel, so employees and examiners know the policy on the record.

  2. Deploy compliant capture

    Preserves messages at point of delivery, tamper-proof, for at least six years under SEC Rule 17a-4.

  3. Enable supervision

    A designated reviewer can search, flag, and export conversation records on demand.

During a FINRA exam, regulators typically request records in a specific date range or involving a specific individual, and expect the firm to produce complete conversation threads, with timestamps and participant details intact, within a short turnaround window.

FAQ about Signal Compliance Archiving

Why is Signal harder to archive than email or Slack?
Signal was designed specifically to prevent third parties from accessing message content. Unlike Slack or Microsoft Teams, there is no admin API, no export tool, and no compliance integration built into the platform. Archiving has to happen at the device or account level. Most approaches either modify the app (introducing security risk) or rely on screen capture (which breaks encryption guarantees). Comma captures Signal as an authorized linked device, the same way a second phone would receive messages.
Does Signal have a compliance API?
No. Signal does not offer an archiving API, a compliance export feature, or an enterprise admin console. Platforms like Slack and Teams provide official compliance integrations. Signal does not. Any vendor claiming Signal archiving is doing it through a method outside of an official API. Understanding that method is the due-diligence question.
Does Comma break Signal's end-to-end encryption?
No. Comma captures messages as an authorized endpoint, the same way a linked device receives them. The message arrives encrypted and is written to tamper-proof storage without being decrypted on an intermediate server. This is different from approaches like TeleMessage, which decrypted messages on an intermediary before archiving them.
What happened with TeleMessage and Signal?
In May 2025, TeleMessage — a compliance archiving vendor acquired by Smarsh in 2024 — was breached. Their Signal archiving worked by modifying the Signal app to decrypt messages on an intermediate server. A hacker accessed a debug endpoint on that server and extracted plaintext chat logs in roughly 15 minutes. Signal's own statement noted it could not guarantee the security of unofficial versions of its app. Comma's Signal connector is published on GitHub and does not use a modified app or intermediate decryption.
What about Signal's disappearing messages feature?
If disappearing messages are enabled on a conversation, Comma captures the message at delivery before it disappears from the device. The archive record is unaffected by the disappearing message timer.
What happens when a Signal message is edited or deleted?
Both versions are captured. If a message is edited, Comma stores the original and the edit as separate records, with timestamps. If a message is deleted, the deletion happens on the employee's device. The archive copy stays. The archive, not the device, is the source of truth.
Does Comma capture Signal group activity?
Yes. Comma captures group messages the same way it captures 1:1 messages, with the metadata examiners ask for: thread name, membership at the time of each message, and group-level settings like the disappearing-message timer. Membership changes are captured as audit records. Examiners get the full picture of who was in the room and when, not just the messages.
How long are Signal messages retained in the archive?
Seven years by default, exceeding the six-year minimum under SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA Rule 4511. Longer retention is available on request. The retention clock starts the moment Comma receives the message; deletions or disappearing-message timers on the employee's device do not affect the archived record.
We already use Smarsh or Global Relay for email. Can Comma work alongside our existing archive?
Yes. Comma can stand alone as your primary archive for Signal and other encrypted channels, or it can push captured records into an existing third-party archive. Smarsh, Global Relay, and similar destinations are supported.
Does Signal compliance work on both iOS and Android?
Yes. Comma captures Signal messages across iOS, Android, and desktop — without installing anything on the employee's device.

Signal doesn't prevent compliance.

It just requires a smarter solution.

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Other channels we support

WhatsApp Compliance Archiving

Official Business API capture across messages, attachments, voice notes, and group chats.

See solution →

iMessage Compliance Archiving

Captured at point of delivery, independent of iCloud. Works on employee-owned iPhones without MDM.

See solution →

All 35+ Channels

Signal is one of the 35+ channels Comma archives. From collaboration tools to email to messaging apps, Comma has you covered.

See all channels →