The decentralized messaging app is experiencing a surge in downloads as 300 km/h winds sweep across the Caribbean, disrupting traditional communications.
Hurricane Melissa continues to wreak havoc in the Caribbean, and Jamaican citizens are downloading Bitchat, the decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app developed by Jack Dorsey, in large numbers to stay connected while the storm passes through the region.
According to network data tracked by NetBlocks, national connectivity has fallen to roughly 30% of normal levels, due to widespread outages caused by strong winds and downed power and telecom lines.
The app, which uses Bluetooth mesh networks to enable encrypted communications without an Internet connection, has climbed the charts to become the second most downloaded app on both the Apple App Store and Google Play in Jamaica.
CNN reports that Hurricane Melissa has caused over 30 deaths in the Caribbean, including at least 23 in Haiti, while countless homes and businesses have been destroyed by 300 km/h winds.
Bitchat has become an essential solution for populations in countries where Internet access is disrupted, whether due to government interference or natural disasters.
Last September, Bitchat downloads surged in Nepal during protests against government corruption and a social media blackout that made Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube inaccessible. A similar spike occurred a week earlier in Indonesia, also coinciding with popular demonstrations. A comparable case was recorded in Madagascar that same month, during protests triggered by ongoing water and electricity blackouts.
