{"id":23688,"date":"2026-01-14T21:13:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/23688\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T21:13:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:13:22","slug":"bitchat-tops-uganda-app-stores-as-election-internet-blackout-drives-use-tradingview-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/23688\/","title":{"rendered":"Bitchat tops Uganda app stores as election internet blackout drives use \u2014 TradingView News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bitchat<\/p>\n

Uganda\u2019s presidential election week has been marked by a sharp rise in the use of Bitchat, a decentralized Bluetooth-based messaging app, as citizens scramble for ways to stay connected amid a government-imposed internet blackout.<\/p>\n

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) officially pulled the plug on internet access at 6:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, just two days before voters head to the polls.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is the third consecutive election cycle where authorities have disabled online access, a move officials claim helps curb misinformation during politically sensitive periods.<\/p>\n

Uganda\u2019s history of election-period shutdowns stretches back nearly a decade. <\/p>\n

In 2016 and again in 2021, President Yoweri Museveni\u2019s government enacted multi-day internet blackouts during elections, citing national security and public order.<\/p>\n

But for many Ugandans, the blackout is seen less as a protective measure and more as an attempt to obscure electoral processes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Critics argue the absence of connectivity undermines transparency and stifles the ability of voters and poll watchers to communicate and share real-time results.<\/p>\n

Bitchat secures No. 1 spot on app stores<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop, Bitchat has soared to the top of Uganda\u2019s app store rankings on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. (See below.)\"Bitchat<\/p>\n

Bitchat ranking on the Apple App Store. Source: Appfigures.<\/p>\n

The encrypted messaging platform, launched by Jack Dorsey in 2025, is built to function without internet access, relying instead on a Bluetooth mesh network where each device relays messages to others nearby.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This peer-to-peer infrastructure has made it particularly useful in blackout zones, where conventional messaging apps fail.<\/p>\n

Bitchat\u2019s popularity in Uganda began building in late December after opposition candidate Bobi Wine publicly urged his supporters to install the app in preparation for a possible communications clampdown.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Data posted by Bitchat developer Calle on Jan. 5 indicated over 400,000 downloads in Uganda alone, a number that has likely grown further following Tuesday\u2019s shutdown.<\/p>\n

calle@callebtc\u00b7Followhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/callebtc\/status\/2008092910928187640<\/p>\n

I was about to celebrate 1M bitchat android downloads but uganda\u2019s opposition leader bobi wine jinxed it \u270a<\/p>\n

\"Image\"1:57 PM \u00b7 Jan 5, 2026https:\/\/help.twitter.com\/en\/twitter-for-websites-ads-info-and-privacy604ReplyCopy linkRead 40 replies<\/p>\n

The UCC\u2019s executive director, Nyombi Thembo, had previously assured the public that there would be no internet disruptions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy would you use Bitchat when there is internet, internet will be there,\u201d he stated last week.<\/p>\n

He also dismissed the app as inconsequential and claimed the government possessed the technical capacity to disable it.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe know how it can be made not to work. Don\u2019t be excited by Bitchat, it\u2019s a small thing,\u201d Thembo said.<\/p>\n

However, Bitchat\u2019s open-source contributors disputed those claims, arguing that Bitchat\u2019s decentralised design, which lacks central servers or user accounts, makes it difficult to shut down or censor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Using the app requires no SIM cards, phone numbers, or emails to operate, and includes features like panic wipes and traffic obfuscation to safeguard user privacy during volatile conditions.<\/p>\n

Bitchat\u2019s role as a tool against censorship<\/p>\n

Bitchat\u2019s emergence in Uganda mirrors its role in several other countries that have experienced civil unrest or infrastructure failures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During the Nepal protests last year, the app became a digital lifeline after social media platforms were restricted by the government.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Within just days, daily downloads surged from a few thousand to nearly 50,000, helping organisers coordinate marches and share information.<\/p>\n

Similar waves of adoption were seen in Madagascar during political protests, and in Indonesia, where demonstrators turned to the app to maintain anonymity and evade surveillance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most recently, during Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, Bitchat saw widespread use in Jamaica as wind damage knocked out cellular and internet infrastructure.<\/p>\n