{"id":93185,"date":"2026-01-15T17:06:04","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T14:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/?p=93185"},"modified":"2026-01-16T11:12:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T08:12:17","slug":"you-cant-block-them-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forklog.com\/en\/you-cant-block-them-all\/","title":{"rendered":"You Can’t Block Them All"},"content":{"rendered":"

A fresh wave of interest in Jack Dorsey\u2019s Bluetooth messenger Bitchat coincided with early 2026 and an escalation of clashes between citizens and authorities in two countries \u2014 Iran and Uganda. In the former, details are hard to trace amid an information blackout; the latter offers a clearer view of digital repression and resistance.<\/p>\n

Ahead of Uganda\u2019s presidential election on January 15th, the government of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni said it was preparing countermeasures against the decentralised radio messenger. Museveni\u2019s challenger \u2014 singer and human-rights advocate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine \u2014 urged supporters to install Bitchat to help secure a fair outcome.<\/p>\n

In this ForkLog piece, we delve into events in the small African country and assess the technical potential of mesh networks in real-world silence.<\/p>\n

Pre-emptive vacuum<\/h2>\n

In July 2025, Twitter co-founder and Block CEO Jack Dorsey introduced<\/a> Bitchat, a messenger that works via Bluetooth without an internet connection. At first, this decentralized app, coded in just a few days, only attracted tech enthusiasts. But within two months, Bitchat saw heavy use by protests in Indonesia and Nepal<\/a>. By October, it became<\/a> the only communication tool available after a hurricane hit Jamaica.<\/p>\n

Interest in the product peaked<\/a> in January 2026 during mass protests in Iran. For demonstrators, Bitchat offered a crucial alternative to counter state-imposed internet blackouts, operating independently of both government and corporate control.<\/p>\n

Satellite internet could have been a boon for Uganda’s opposition, where authorities traditionally block communications ahead of presidential elections. However, Elon Musk is rarely quick with charity. He only opened free access to Starlink in Iran on January 13th\u2014two weeks after mass street protests began and following a public endorsement<\/a> of the protesters by US President Donald Trump. This gave civil society an additional tool to fight back, supplementing the “grassroots” Bitchat.<\/p>\n

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Incumbent Ugandan president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Source: The Telegraph<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In Uganda, authorities prepared for a shutdown as early as late 2025. On December 19th, the Tax Authority banned the import of Starlink terminals. Access was restricted to only those with written permission from the Army Commander\u2014who also happens to be the president’s son\u2014General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.<\/p>\n

Despite the import ban, many terminals previously brought in through unofficial channels remained active. This prompted authorities to pressure Musk’s company directly.<\/p>\n

On January 1st, following a demand from Uganda’s Communications Commission, Starlink activated geolocation blocking. This rendered all equipment within the country useless.<\/p>\n

Charismatic opposition leader Bobi Wine, opposing Museveni’s policies, developed a plan to counter communication blackouts to ensure the real voting results could be recorded.<\/p>\n

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Ugandan presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine). Source: The Telegraph.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On December 30, 2025, Wine called on his supporters to download the Bitchat app. His plan was to use the messenger to share election protocol data between observers at polling stations when the internet was down.<\/p>\n

Wine also appealed to Musk, asking him to reconsider his company’s decision regarding Uganda and restore satellite coverage. In his post, he pointedly contrasted the billionaire’s enthusiastic reaction to the ousting of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro in Venezuela with his silence on the situation in Africa.<\/p>\n

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Hey @elonmusk<\/a>, as you cheer the fall of a dictator in Venezuela, here in Uganda your @Starlink<\/a> has disabled citizens’ access to its internet just days to the January 15th election in which we seek to peacefully end Museveni\u2019s 40-year-old dictatorship!<\/p>\n

Like other dictators,\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/fv4lwHhwBp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 BOBI WINE (@HEBobiwine) January 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n