Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat Downloads Rise in Nepal Amid Social Media Ban
Nepal witnessed a surge in downloads of Jack Dorsey’s decentralized messaging app Bitchat as youth-led protests escalated in opposition to corruption and a sweeping social media ban.
On September 8, the app recorded 48,781 downloads in Nepal, which represents about 39% of its international adoption.
Bitchat Emerges as Censorship-Proof Tool
Bitchat operates with out web infrastructure, counting on Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networks that hyperlink gadgets inside a 30-meter vary. Encrypted messages hop between a number of gadgets, permitting communication to proceed throughout shutdowns.
The app additionally helps relaying pre-signed Bitcoin transactions throughout the mesh, a feature reported as one of its most radical innovations.
Global downloads reached 125,486 by early September, with vital spikes in Indonesia and Russia throughout comparable unrest. Indonesia logged 12,581 downloads in August amid protests over parliamentary allowances and police violence, whereas Russia recorded 8,749. The United States accounted for 8,211 downloads.
Dorsey developed Bitchat as a weekend mission aimed toward catastrophe coordination and censorship resistance. Features embody random peer IDs for every session, an emergency wipe operate activated by a triple faucet, and IRC-style command interfaces for topic-based chat rooms.
The adoption highlights a rising appetite for censorship-resistant “freedom tech” instruments.
The protests marked Nepal’s deadliest political unrest in many years, leaving not less than 30 folks lifeless and forcing Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.
Authorities had blocked 26 main social platforms, together with Facebook and YouTube, after implementing registration necessities. The blackout ignited outrage amongst Gen Z activists who depend on digital platforms for commerce and communication.
Nepal’s political instability has deep roots. Since the monarchy was abolished in 2008, the nation has cycled via 13 governments in 17 years.
Transparency International ranked Nepal 107th in its 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, exhibiting systemic governance failures. Public frustration grew across the “Nepo Kids” phenomenon, the place elite households have been seen flaunting wealth whereas youth unemployment soared.
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