Bitchat ranks second in Jamaica amid hurricane disaster

Jamaicans are rushing to download Jack Dorsey’s decentralized peer-to-peer app Bitchat as deadly hurricane Melissa continues to rip through the Caribbean.

bitchat—which uses mesh mesh networks for internet-free, encrypted communication—is now the second-most-downloaded app in Apple App Store and Google Play in Jamaica, which offers a lifeline for 2.8 million people as Internet coverage continues to weaken in the region.

Bitchat is the only weather forecasting platform of Zoom Earth – indicating that two of the most basic needs of Jamaicans today are to know what the weather is like, and to communicate with each other.

Cnn reported On Wednesday Hurricane Melissa killed more than 30 people in the Caribbean, including at least 23 in Haiti, while countless homes and businesses were destroyed.

Until recently, the adoption of decentralized, encrypted messaging apps was driven by users leaving centralized communication platforms that either censor content or impose other restrictions.

However, Bitchat has since become a critical solution for people in countries where Internet access is interrupted – whether due to government interference or natural disaster.

In September, downloads of bitchat increased Nepal on government corruption and a social media ban that blocked Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube, and triggered widespread protests. Downloads also increased in Indonesia a week earlier amid protests.