Bitchat Surges in Madagascar Amidst Protests
Madagascar has seen a sudden surge in interest for Bitchat, a decentralized messaging app, amidst ongoing power and water outages that have sparked nationwide protests. The app, which promises secure and uncensored communication, has been downloaded over 21,000 times in a single day and over 71,000 times in the past week, according to the developer.
The spike in Bitchat's popularity comes as Madagascar grapples with widespread unrest due to power and water interruptions. The protests, which began in the capital Antananarivo, have since spread across the country. Alexander Fournier, a blockchain project manager and cryptocurrency investor, has noted the strong surge in searches and downloads of the app. Related queries like 'Bitchat download' and 'how to use Bitchat' have also become breakout topics in Madagascar.
Despite low internet access, with only about 6.6 million people connected out of nearly 32 million, mobile connections are more common, though many offer only voice and SMS services. The government has responded to the unrest by imposing a curfew and removing the energy minister. Meanwhile, global concerns about privacy and messaging censorship may be driving interest in decentralized, encrypted platforms like Bitchat, particularly in regions experiencing instability.
Since its launch, Bitchat has seen approximately 365,000 total downloads, with over 21,000 added in a single recent day and over 71,000 in the past week. As Madagascar continues to face protests due to power and water outages, the demand for secure and uncensored communication platforms like Bitchat is expected to remain high. Separately, Madagascar is set to receive 2 million trees planted through a partnership between VeriTree and Samsung in Q1, 2022.
Read also:
- Mural at blast site in CDMX commemorates Alicia Matías, sacrificing life for granddaughter's safety
- Microsoft's Patch Tuesday essential fixes: 12 critical vulnerabilities alongside a Remote Code Execution flaw in SharePoint
- Swedish Housing Associations Hike Fees by 8.1% Amidst Inflation and Interest Rate Surge
- British intelligence agency MI6 establishes a covert dark web platform named 'Silent Courier' in Istanbul for the purpose of identifying and enlisting secret agents.
