Former Twitter Boss Jack Dorsey Reacts After Uganda Signals Ability To Block His BITchat Messaging App

By Swift Reporter 

Former Twitter chief executive Jack Patrick Dorsey has drawn attention after reacting to remarks by Uganda’s communications regulator over BITchat, a new peer-to-peer messaging application he recently unveiled, as the country approaches a general election.

The reaction followed comments by the Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Nyombi Thembo, who said the regulator understands how BITchat works and has the technical capacity to regulate or block digital platforms if they are used outside Uganda’s legal framework.

In a video shared on X, Nyombi cautioned Ugandans against viewing the app as a safeguard against possible communication restrictions. He explained that BITchat uses Bluetooth technology and the Nostr protocol, adding that such systems are well known to Uganda’s technical teams.

“BITchat should not excite you. We know it very well,” Nyombi said. “If you want to use it to break the law, you will not succeed because we understand how it works.”

Shortly after the clip circulated online, Dorsey responded with a single word on X: “interesting.” Though brief, the comment quickly sparked online discussion locally and internationally, placing Uganda at the center of a wider conversation about digital innovation, regulation, and elections.

BITchat, announced in July 2025, is designed as a peer-to-peer encrypted messaging platform that allows users to communicate without relying on internet access, mobile networks, central servers, or user accounts. It operates through Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networks and can also use the internet-based Nostr protocol to extend message reach.

The UCC’s remarks come at a time of heightened political activity online, with some actors encouraging the use of alternative platforms amid fears of restrictions on mainstream social media. However, government officials have reiterated that there are no plans to shut down the internet during the elections.

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Amina Zawedde, has dismissed reports of an impending internet shutdown as false and misleading, assuring the public that connectivity will be maintained.

Dorsey’s understated response has nonetheless amplified global interest in BITchat and highlighted the growing tension between rapidly evolving communication technologies and national regulatory frameworks, especially during sensitive democratic processes such as elections.