BitChat has become a key tool for protests in Nepal and Indonesia
Date: 2025-09-12 Author: Henry Casey Categories: BUSINESS
On September 8, mass protests broke out in Kathmandu, which quickly became known as the "Generation Z movement." The reason for the discontent was the government's decision to restrict access to 26 major social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube. The censorship measures exacerbated public anger against the backdrop of corruption scandals surrounding senior officials.
Clashes between protesters and security forces continued for almost two days. The police used weapons, and the city was on fire - administrative buildings were smashed, and numerous arsons were recorded. According to official data, the death toll reached 30 people, and over 1,000 were injured.
On September 9, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, who found himself at the center of the accusations, resigned. Social networks became accessible again, and the army declared its support for the people and began negotiations to stabilize the situation. As early as September 11, Reddit users in the r/Nepal thread noted a decrease in tension and a gradual return to normal life in the city.
Due to the blockages, protesters turned to alternative solutions. One of the main tools was a mesh network based on the BitChat application, a free Bluetooth messenger created by Jack Dorsey. According to the developer under the nickname calle, on September 8, the number of downloads in Nepal soared to 48,781, while a week earlier it was only about 3,300.
BitChat does not require an account or linking to a phone number. Working via Bluetooth Low Energy, it allows devices to transmit encrypted messages within a radius of up to 300 meters. The application has a Panic Mode - a function for instant deletion of data after triple-clicking on the logo.
According to Google Trends, interest in downloading BitChat increased significantly on dates that coincided with protest movements. The first significant increase in requests was recorded on August 21, the second on September 8.
A similar situation occurred earlier in Indonesia. There, the surge in BitChat installations began on September 3, when the number of downloads exceeded 11,000. The impetus was the protests that began on August 25 in Jakarta and quickly engulfed the country. Demonstrators demanded the abolition of inflated payments to parliamentarians and sought to increase salaries for ordinary citizens.
After the mass protests, the authorities made concessions: they canceled benefits and expensive foreign trips for deputies. Nevertheless, the riots claimed the lives of six people, and the police detained more than 3,000 participants.
“Last week, we saw a surge in BitChat downloads from Indonesia, and now we are seeing even more active use in Nepal - against the backdrop of youth protests against corruption and censorship,” calle noted.
Interest in the application has grown not only in Asia. Calle published charts where Russia took the leading position in downloads. From September 3 to 8, the number of installations there increased from 7,519 to 8,749. The United States and India were also in the top.
Amid the popularity of BitChat, XChat, presented by Elon Musk in June, is trying to compete. However, despite promises of enhanced privacy and disappearing messages, its application has come under criticism.
