Bitchat's rising popularity in France propelled it to the top of the App Store's social networking chart on October 17 during nationwide protests and on October 21 during a nearly 10-hour mobile network outage—both times operating without internet. This peer-to-peer messaging app, created by Twitter co-founder and Block CEO Jack Dorsey, also entered the top ten free apps across all categories on the App Store.
Key points
- Bitchat rose to the top of France’s social media charts during protests and disrupted mobile communications.
- Nearby phones can relay Bitchat messages via Bluetooth without an internet connection.
- French officials discussed targeted platform suspension measures, but these must be subject to legal constraints.
Bitchat's rise in France occurred after protests and an Orange network outage.
Downloads surged following large-scale cost-of-living protests, calls for temporary restrictions on social media, and prolonged outages of Orange mobile services. These events collectively created the backdrop for Bitchat’s rise in France’s app rankings.
On October 17, demonstrations drew hundreds of thousands of participants, including students and union members. Violence and looting emerged at the margins of the protests, with reports of over 1,800 arrests.
On October 19, former Prime Minister and presidential candidate Gabriel Attal called on the government to obtain the authority to temporarily block social media in specific areas experiencing unrest.
Just two days later, from approximately 11:20 AM until around 9:00 PM, mobile services for Orange and Sosh experienced widespread outages. This nearly 10-hour disruption on October 21 likely affected millions of users.
How can Bitchat send messages without internet?
Bitchat uses a Bluetooth mesh network to send messages between nearby phones without requiring an internet connection, account, or phone number. Each participating device acts as both a message client and a relay for other devices.
Its theoretical multi-hop range is approximately 300 meters, and performance improves with higher crowd density. Public #mesh channels are readable by nearby users of the app, while private messages are end-to-end encrypted using the Noise Protocol Framework.
When connected to the internet, this app also supports communication beyond the local mesh network. It can use the Nostr protocol for longer-distance messaging or location-based channels.
Android users can also directly share the app itself between devices without an internet connection or access to an app store. These offline capabilities distinguish Bitchat from messaging services that require an online connection, contributing to its popularity in France.
French officials consider targeted social media restrictions
French officials discussed temporary, limited platform blocks. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that any suspension measures must comply with the strict conditions set by the Conseil d’État.
Nuñez told the French Senate, "Social networks have become a real problem." He acknowledged that there may be possibilities of suspending certain platforms when they are used to coordinate looting, while emphasizing that such actions must meet legal requirements.
Attal believes that images of friends participating in looting online would encourage other young people to join. He also mentioned that in 2024, he decided to block TikTok in New Caledonia—a measure later ruled by France’s highest administrative court to constitute a disproportionate infringement on rights and freedoms.
This ruling, along with relevant provisions of the EU’s Digital Services Act, imposes legal limits on France’s broad blocking of social media.
Bitchat has also faced government requests in other regions that affected its availability. Apple removed it from the Chinese App Store at the request of China’s Cyberspace Administration. India also demanded its removal from both the App Store and Google Play following heightened protests in the summer.
In both cases, Apple stated that apps must comply with the legal requirements of every jurisdiction in which they are available.
This article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.