China Orders Bitchat Pulled from Apple App Store
10 hours ago
- #Decentralized Messaging
- #China Regulations
- #Digital Surveillance
- Apple removed Bitchat from its China App Store following orders from Chinese regulators.
- Bitchat is a decentralized messaging app by Jack Dorsey that operates via Bluetooth and mesh networks without internet.
- Regulators cited violations of rules for services with public opinion or social mobilization capabilities.
- Bitchat has been used in protests in countries like Madagascar, Uganda, Iran, Nepal, and Indonesia.
- The app had over three million downloads globally, with significant recent downloads.
- China's move aligns with its strategy to control digital communications, unlike apps like WeChat.
- This is the second time China banned a Dorsey-backed decentralized app, similar to Damus in 2023.