Jack Dorsey Reacts After Ugandan Regulator Threatens to Block New Platform Bitchat
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has responded after a top Ugandan communications official stated the government could block citizens from using his new decentralized social media platform, Bitchat.
The remarks were made by George William Thembo Nyombi, the Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter). In the clip, Nyombi issued a direct warning to Ugandans about the platform, which is still in its invitation-only phase.
“Bitchat should not excite you. We know it very well,” Nyombi said. “It uses Bluetooth and the Nostr protocol. If you want to use it to break the law, you will not succeed because we understand how it works.”
Dorsey, who co-founded Bitchat as an independent, open-source social network, replied to a post containing the video with a single word: “interesting.”
The exchange highlights the growing tension between decentralized social media protocols, which are designed to be more resistant to centralized control or shutdown, and governments seeking to regulate online communication. Bitchat uses the AT Protocol, not Nostr (a protocol Dorsey also supports), but its decentralized nature is a key feature.
Uganda has a history of imposing internet restrictions and social media blockades, particularly during elections and periods of political unrest. The UCC’s statement suggests authorities are preemptively scrutinizing new platforms that could circumvent traditional regulatory oversight
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