T̸a̸n̶d̵r̵y̶ ̶L̶a̷k̶s̵a̵n̴a̴
Lawyer/₿itcoiner Legal Practitioners with more than 10y of experience on public/private-law under Indonesian Jurisdiction (accept ₿itcoin)
China has ordered Apple to remove Bitchat, the offline messaging app vibe-coded by Jack Dorsey, from its App Store. Officials cited violations of regulations governing “internet-based information services with attribute (sp) of public opinions or capable of social mobilization.” Bitchat operates over Bluetooth mesh networks and enables messages to move locally from phone to phone while devices are offline. It creates a new channel for communication (and money, given that Bitcoin addresses and ecash can travel over bitchat) when dictators shut down the internet, one that China clearly views as a threat.
If we do not understand the history and mechanics of digital identity control, we will lose our rights. We will live in an unbalanced, ringfenced world where people can’t even remember the reasons why, sometimes, they must remain faceless.