Jack Dorsey’s messaging app Bitchat surges as internet shutdowns hit Iran and Uganda

Internet shutdowns in Iran and Uganda have fuelled a surge in downloads of Bitchat, a messaging app created by former Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.

The communications app works without the Internet or central servers. Users are not required to share phone numbers or email IDs.

The decentralised, peer-to-peer messaging app recently rose to the top of Apple’s and Google’s app stores in Uganda ahead of a contentious election, which ultimately resulted in the return of President Yoweri Museveni for a seventh term.