Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat app Bitchat: Jack Dorsey

Post by aeternum » Fri, Jul 24, 2026, 9:39 PM UTC

KitN wrote: post #216

adityaathalye wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hilariously (darkly), during the pandemic, the very same reason is why the very same administrators were hell-bent on forcing Bluetooth-always-on contact tracing on the whole country's smartphone-carrying population. (edit: viz. that forcible peer-to-peer bluetooth networking works. One man's unrestricted mass-surveillance is another person's "terrorist activity". Oh how the turntables turn and turn.)

But that did save lives; I was able to know my family had Covid before the symptoms showed up. Happened with a lot of other people too.

Post by ifh-hn » Fri, Jul 24, 2026, 9:42 PM UTC

subscribed wrote: post #211

ifh-hn wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not condoning this but what would you suggest they should be doing to keep people safe? I'm fairly sure whatever they do you'd likely be complaining about it. Glad to be wrong though.

Are you suggesting that taking down an application is making people safe? People are making independent communication networks using reticulum, LORA devices and hold tight - unregistered radio transmitters. You can't seriously argue trying to take down ONE app is acting in the interests of national security?

Post by derwiki » Fri, Jul 24, 2026, 9:43 PM UTC

t0bia_s wrote: post #220

viktorcode wrote: post #76

> the app enables communication even during network restrictions and creates a substantial risk of misuse by anti-national elements, terrorist organisations, organised criminal groups and cyber criminals seeking to evade lawful detection and continue communication despite legally imposed restrictions. This mouthful boils down to exactly this: a form of communication not controlled by the government creates a risk for…

and vote out incompetent persons in power. How you can vote someone out?

Post by mef » Fri, Jul 24, 2026, 9:59 PM UTC

bhelkey wrote: post #219

m463 wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Japan has no trash cans. (reaction to the japanese subway attacks) Returning to the US from japan you notice. Japanese bathrooms don't have trash cans, so no paper towels. In the US, the bathrooms have trash cans overflowing with paper towel waste and it is quite a difference.

One thing I noticed is that I tended to accumulate a lot of trash in Japan. Connivence stores were plentiful and the food was tasty, but it was all wrapped in plastic. Where does all the trash go? More often than not, I ended up carrying trash in a backpack to throw away at my hotel.

Post by anon291 » Fri, Jul 24, 2026, 10:04 PM UTC

somenameforme wrote: post #186

anon291 wrote: post #164

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It is simply not true to the same degree. The American colonies believed the King of England had violated their rights as Englishmen, Indian independence activists simply wanted Indians to have the same rights as other citizens of the UK and subjects of the British crown. The Indian independence movement started as a mirror of the Irish self-rule movement.

The 'Americans' felt that they were being treated as second class citizens with no meaningful political representation on their behalf. Hence rallying cries like 'no taxation without representation' which originated, at least in modern times, in Ireland.