Jack Dorsey’s BitChat Sparks Security Woes

Jack Dorsey, the tech visionary behind Twitter and Block, has quietly dropped a new app called Bitchat, now available on the iOS App Store.

Developed in a weekend sprint earlier in July, the app allows users to chat within a 100-metre range using Bluetooth mesh networks — no mobile data or Wi-Fi required. With no login process, users are immediately plunged into a basic chat interface where they can post messages and set or change a display name on the fly. Dorsey originally promoted the app as a privacy-first communication tool, ideal for users in areas with limited connectivity.

But while the tech behind Bitchat has generated curiosity, experts are raising red flags about the app’s security.

Impersonation Warnings and Fake Versions

Alex Radocea, a security researcher, has expressed concern about Bitchat’s lack of safeguards. In a blog post, he warned that the app’s minimal structure makes it easy to impersonate others, undermining Dorsey’s claims of privacy.

“A protocol that has the right vibes can have fundamental substance flaws that compromise everything it claims to protect,” Radocea wrote.

Dorsey later confirmed that Bitchat has not undergone any third-party security audits, admitting that the app might still have unresolved vulnerabilities.

Further complicating things, fake versions of Bitchat have already appeared on Google Play, gathering thousands of downloads. The real Android version is only available on GitHub, according to users on X (formerly Twitter). Dorsey hasn’t issued a direct statement, but he reposted a warning urging people to avoid the fraudulent listings.