61–70 of 370 posts
Other than the cold start problem which isn't discussed (what's the userbase size in Gaza?), the main argument for Bitchat (or any other off-grid network such as Meshtastic, Briar, etc.) in Gaza when mainstream E2E encrypted messaging apps already exist and are widely used, is to not be dependent on Israel for cell service. While I do really like the idea of off-grid networks in general but for this use case, is it r…
Like Briar?
Is it actually being used in Palestine? My problem is that when you are actually locally near someone you don't really need live chat; and if you're far, it might become too unstable to use. But I might be wrong!
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most of the gazan population has a cellphone, which has had reception most of the war. So assuming using one puts you in risk is false. About your second story, that sounds implausible, anything more substantial?
Here's an article I found on Google that contains the claim about strikes associated with preventing civilian communication. Note the "physically high places." The story about the buckets fits within that frame. (My original source was an article I saw on HN; unfortunately Google's performance on search queries related to this subject is very poor, so it isn't easy to find again. I should have been saving them...) >…
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Another problem is what happens when police stop to search you. You don't want to have "please beat me dead" app installed when it's happens.
I think in these kinds of places they beat you dead for being the wrong skin colour if they're in a bad mood. I'm not sure how much your installed apps are relevant to the decision.
Ask HN: Does Anyone Use Bitchat? - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44944414 - Aug 2025 (5 comments)
Testing Bitchat at the music festival - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44815164 - Aug 2025 (55 comments)
MitM Flaw in Bitchat: Identity Is a Bitchat Challenge - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44497622 - July 2025 (6 comments)
Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44485342 - July 2025 (424 comments)
Other than the cold start problem which isn't discussed (what's the userbase size in Gaza?), the main argument for Bitchat (or any other off-grid network such as Meshtastic, Briar, etc.) in Gaza when mainstream E2E encrypted messaging apps already exist and are widely used, is to not be dependent on Israel for cell service. While I do really like the idea of off-grid networks in general but for this use case, is it r…
The user base size is huge. This is actively being used by tens of thousands
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AFAIK they used to have internet, but Israel clamped down on it more and more, at the same time they shot as many journalists as they could. Has there been anything out of Gaza in ages?