Jack Dorsey reveals details about his P2P messaging app Bitchat.

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, announced the launch of a new decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app called 'Bitchat.' The app is currently available on Apple’s TestFlight beta service.

On Sunday evening, Dorsey shared the white paper for the Bitchat app, along with a TestFlight link, for anyone interested in trying the app. He stated that his weekend project aimed to explore 'mesh Bluetooth networks, relays, storage and routing models, message encryption models, and some other things.'

The Bitchat app works without the internet.

The Bitchat report states that the app does not rely on internet infrastructure, but uses mesh networks with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, which provides encrypted and temporary connections. This setup ensures the app continues to work even in cases of internet outages or censorship.

When someone sends a message to another user, the message is end-to-end encrypted and stored in the device's memory. No data is stored on the server. Additionally, using the app does not require a phone number or email address. This makes Bitchat more private compared to popular messaging apps like WhatsApp that rely on Meta's data servers.

Since Bitchat relies on mesh BLE networks, each device acts as both a client and a server simultaneously. Nearby devices (within a 30-meter range) form groups. When a device from one group enters the range of a device from another group, it acts as a bridge connecting the two groups. This allows messages to travel from one group to another until they reach the intended recipient.

The white paper provides more details about the messaging app's architecture, protocols, and security mechanisms.

Source: Jack Dorsey via X.

How does the Bitchat app enhance privacy?

Bitchat injects fake messages at random intervals between 30 and 120 seconds, adding a delay of 50 to 500 milliseconds to real transmissions. This statistically makes it impossible for anyone to distinguish real messages or link timing to user activity.

Messages do not remain in the device's memory forever. The decentralized app retains any message for 12 hours for regular friends, while the duration is indefinite for favorite friends. So even if someone gains access to the device, they will not be able to browse old conversations that are years old.

Bitchat does not leak any metadata, as there are no central servers or service providers that can access your messages or who you are talking to. Each node only checks the TTL (Time To Live) counter and the message ID. Nodes do not retain any record of the message sender, who will receive it, or the time it was sent, only enough data to know when to stop forwarding.

The Bitchat app provides uninterrupted communication channels in situations like protests or disaster areas where the internet may be down, overloaded, or actively blocked.

In addition to founding Twitter and building Bitchat today, Jack Dorsey co-founded and chaired Block (formerly known as Square). Dorsey has supported decentralized social communication protocols like Bluesky and Nostr. In recent years, he has led the development of Web5 and other decentralized applications, advocating for Bitcoin adoption.

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