Bluetooth Mesh Apps Aid Protests

Fearing internet blocks, Nepalis downloaded Bitchat—a Bluetooth‑based messaging app by Jack Dorsey—to keep communicating without cell data. Mesh‑style tools let crowds coordinate locally when governments throttle platforms, making censorship costlier and less effective. — If protesters can quickly pivot to infrastructure‑independent messaging, states’ platform bans lose bite and policy debates shift toward mesh networks, device‑level controls, and civil liberties.