A military coup that caused blackouts in Myanmar's internet network prompted residents to turn to messaging app Bridgefy. Since the beginning of this week, the application has been downloaded more than one million times in Myanmar.
Bridgefy relies on Bluetooth that allows users to communicate with each other without the internet. This alternative is certainly very beneficial for the population after the telephone and internet networks were closed in the capital Naypyitaw, Yangon and other cities following the military coup with the arrest of political figure Aung San Suu Kyi.
At this time, phone and internet networks in Myanmar are recovering. But in social media posts seen by Reuters, activists in Myanmar suggested citizens download Bridgefy as a workaround if the internet shuts down again in the Nation of a Thousand Pagodas.
Bridgefy CEO Jorge Rios said that the app has been downloaded more than 1.1 million times. Currently, the number of internet users in Myanmar is estimated at 22 million people.
In a series of tweets on his official Twitter account, Bridgefy admitted that he was overwhelmed by the surge of new users wanting to sign up. But all these problems were solved immediately.
This messaging app has also solved security problems since last year. Now all messages sent through Bridgefy are protected with end-to-end encryption based on the Signaling Protocol.
This security update appears to be Bridgefy's response to the comments of cybersecurity experts who are concerned that the app is easy to penetrate and makes users easy targets for surveillance.
Bridgefy's popularity is starting to increase in countries that have a history of imposing restrictions on social media and the internet. Like the anti-government protests in Thailand and the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Other apps that use similar technology include goTenna and Briar. There is also a Bluetooth Firechat that was used at demonstrations in Iran and Iraq but is now defunct.
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APPS & GAMES
