Madagascar Protests Spark Surge in Bitchat Downloads
Madagascar has been rocked by protests over power cuts, with violence erupting and a curfew imposed. The unrest has seen a surge in downloads of Bitchat, an offline messaging app developed by Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter.
The protests, which began on September 25, 2025, targeted retail stores, banks, electronics shops, cable car stations, and politicians' homes. They turned violent, resulting in five deaths and prompting President Andry Rajoelina to fire his energy minister. Meanwhile, the 'Leo Délestage' movement, organized by three municipal officials, continued with peaceful protests over the weekend.
Bitchat has emerged as a common app for communication during the unrest. In the past 24 hours, over 21,000 downloads were recorded, and over 71,000 in the past week. This surge in interest comes despite Madagascar's severe digital inequality, with only 6.6 million people having internet access out of nearly 32 million. Bitchat works entirely over Bluetooth, creating mesh networks between nearby devices for offline communication. It has proven resilient, with Madagascar being the third country in September to see its downloads surge in the app store during political unrest, following Nepal and Indonesia.
Bitchat's popularity during the Madagascar protests highlights the app's utility in areas with limited internet access. As the country grapples with power cuts and digital inequality, offline communication tools like Bitchat can play a crucial role in keeping people connected.
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