Some mobile applications for communication, such as messaging and voice calling, are becoming increasingly popular in times of crisis. An example of this is the situation following the crisis over WhatsApp's privacy policy last month. This helped WhatsApp's rivals Signal and Telegram to build a large user base in a matter of days. Bridgefy is one such newcomer in this category which became a hit in just 48 hours. According to officials, this app was downloaded by more than 10 lakh people in 48 hours.
Let's check out how this app works, which can send messages offline, and how secure this platform is.
1.What is Bridgefy?
Bridgefy is an application that is currently being discussed during the Myanmar military coup. Bridgefy is an offline messenger application for Android and iOS users.As an offline communication application, Bridgefy can be used to communicate with customers in the vicinity without the need for a data network or SMS.
2.How does it work?
Bridgefy runs on a mesh network. This app relays your messages via Bluetooth. It also uses the Bluetooth system on other nearby Bridgefy users' phones.
You must have at least 330 feet of other users to use Bridgefy. In this way the users of that app will act as a network between you and the recipient of your message. The app must first connect to the Internet to set up and sync your contacts. After that you can send messages to nearby users without internet.
Your live location can be shared with another Bridgefy user. The app also has a broadcast feature that allows you to communicate with nearby users even if they are not on your contact list. Bridgefy does not matter if there is no other Bridgefy user within your Bluetooth range. At the same time, participants in colleges, concerts, and protests can still communicate with each other even if the Internet is cut off. As the number of users of the app increases, the coverage can be extended to more places accordingly.
3.Why Bridgefy got a sudden incease in userbase in Myanmar?
A military coup that took place in Myanmar on 1 February 2020 is the main reason. The army seized control of the country and detained political leaders, including National League for Democracy (NLD) leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Mint. Currently, Myanmar has been in a state of emergency for a year.
Communications in various parts of Myanmar, including the capital Naipido and the main city of Yangon, have been shut down, leaving people unable to rely on SMS or Internet connectivity. In this case, Bridgefy started downloading when people were looking for alternatives.
4.How Safe is the Bridgefy?
Your message will reach the recipient via the phones or tablets of many other customers in between. This raises the question of whether your messages can be seen by those in the middle. Bridgefy assures users that this is not possible due to "advanced" encryption and other security enhancements that the application may implement from time to time.But that was not the case until recent times.
Until 2020, many security experts had questioned the app's performance and policies in terms of privacy and security. This was crucial in the context of protests, especially in such cases when Bridgefy slowly became a means of communication. Following criticism, Bridgefy temporarily reinstated its encryption promises in June 2020.
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