Uganda's Potential Ban on Decentralized Messaging App Raises Concerns

According to Cointelegraph, Uganda's threat to shut down Jack Dorsey's decentralized messaging app, Bitchat, has been met with skepticism by one of its developers. The Uganda Communications Commission's executive director, Nyombi Thembo, announced on Monday that his team possesses the technical capability to disable Bitchat. The app utilizes Bluetooth mesh networks, allowing encrypted communication without internet access. Bitchat experienced a surge in downloads last week after opposition leader Bobi Wine encouraged Ugandans to install the app as a precaution against potential government internet shutdowns, a tactic used in previous elections. Thembo expressed confidence in his team's expertise, stating, "We know how it can be made not to work," and downplayed the app's significance by calling it "a small thing." Data from Calle revealed that over 400,000 Ugandans have already downloaded Bitchat. Calle responded defiantly on X, asserting, "You can't stop Bitchat. You can't stop us," and encouraged Ugandan developers to engage in open-source projects, emphasizing the app's free and open-source nature. Uganda has a history of internet shutdowns during elections, as seen in 2016 when President Yoweri Museveni imposed a nationwide block on internet and social media access, citing security concerns. A similar scenario occurred in 2021 with a four-day internet blackout starting on election night. Bitchat's decentralized structure, lacking central servers, accounts, email addresses, or phone numbers, makes it a viable option for communication during such blackouts. Globally, Bitchat has gained traction in various regions facing internet restrictions. In September, nearly 50,000 Nepalese users downloaded the app to bypass a brief social media ban amid corruption protests. Madagascar experienced a similar increase in downloads for comparable reasons three weeks later. In November, Bitchat became the second-most downloaded app on the Apple App Store in Jamaica during Hurricane Melissa, providing crucial communication for many of the country's 2.8 million residents as internet access was disrupted.