- Bitchat downloads in Madagascar spiked dramatically during protests over water and electricity cuts in Antananarivo.
- Bitchat operates over Bluetooth mesh networks and needs no internet access, accounts, or central servers.
- Similar Bitchat download surges were seen in Nepal amid the protests and social media bans, as well as in Indonesia.
Since late September, anti-government protests have erupted across Madagascar, especially in Antananarivo, over chronic water and power outages. Demonstrations have escalated, with roads being barricaded as looting flared. Authorities responded with tear gas and a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Amid this turmoil, Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat witnessed an explosive uptick in downloads and searches in Madagascar. Search interest for ‘Bitchat’ jumped from 0 to 100 on Google Trends in Antananarivo within days. Google Chrome-Stats reports show over 21,000 downloads in 24 hours and 71,000 in one week (globally), though breakdowns by country are not fully disclosed.
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How does Bitchat work?
Bitchat is a peer-to-peer, Bluetooth mesh messaging app. It uses Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking, where devices relay encrypted messages across nodes (within ~30–300 meters), with no phone number, email, or account registration required. That allows protesters to communicate, coordinate, and resist censorship even if mobile networks or social platforms are blocked or surveilled.
Bitchat becomes protesters’ lifeline
This pattern is not unique to Madagascar. In Nepal, during Gen Z-led protests over corruption and a sudden social media ban in early September 2025. Back then, over 48,000 Nepalis downloaded Bitchat in just a few days to maintain offline communication. In Indonesia, too, Bitchat saw adoption surges amid protest movements.
When governments restrict, monitor, or shut down communication channels, protesters are increasingly turning to resilient, decentralized tools like Bitchat to stay connected and organized.
