Ex-Twitter CEO reacts to Uganda’s claim it can block his new messaging app

Former Twitter chief executive Jack Patrick Dorsey has reacted to remarks by the Uganda Communications Commission saying it can block Ugandans from using his new messaging platform, Bitchat.

The comments were made by George William Thembo Nyombi, the executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission, in a video shared on X.

“Bitchat should not excite you. We know it very well,” Nyombi said. “It uses Bluetooth and the Nostr protocol. If you want to use it to break the law, you will not succeed because we understand how it works.”

Reacting to the clip, Jack Patrick Dorsey simply wrote: “interesting.”

Bitchat was announced in July 2025. The peer-to-peer encrypted app allows users to send messages using Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networks without internet access, mobile networks, user accounts or central servers.

It also uses the internet-based Nostr protocol to enable wider reach.

The comments come as Uganda approaches a general election in just over a week.

The government has dismissed claims that it plans to shut down the internet during the polls. The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, Amina Zawedde, described such reports as false and misleading.

Speaking at a press briefing, she said the government has not ordered, announced or considered any internet shutdown during the election period.

She urged the public to ignore misinformation online, warning that it could create fear and tension. Zawedde said the ministry remains committed to access to information, digital inclusion and responsible use of technology during elections.