Nostr is a decentralized social network that Jack Dorsey founded and invested 14 BTC in. At the time, the investment made was $245,000. That said, above Nostr, we find the Damus application which presents itself as an alternative to Twitter. The app supports Bitcoin’s lightning network. It displays strong resistance to censorship, but its decentralized nature makes it illegal in some jurisdictions.
Why is Damus banned from the Chinese App Store?
Damus struggled to gain acceptance on the global app store. Apple has repeatedly rejected its application for registration, because of its decentralized nature. It turns out that decentralization prevents content moderation. Yet with Apple, apps must offer users the ability to flag content they deem inappropriate.
Now Damus reveals that Apple has banned him from the Chinese App Store. Apple said that, according to the Chinese Cyberspace Administration, Nostr’s app contains illegal content in China. Damus is accused of being a “information service having the attribute of public opinion or capable of social mobilization“.
In reality, to be accessible to the Chinese, any online platform must first obtain a special authorization. This is the Internet Content Provider (ICP) license. In addition, any entity with this authorization must follow certain rules. In particular, it must be ready to provide the Chinese authorities with the real names and IP addresses of its users.
China is strict
PCI holders also do not have not allowed to post certain types of content. They must avoid all that opposes “to the fundamental principles defined in the Chinese constitution“. They are not allowed to post “content damaging to the honor and interests of the nation“.
There spreading rumors and anything that disturbs social order or social stability is also prohibited. Incidentally, Damus is considered illegal in China because it supports Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. Indeed, crypto technology is not recognized in the country.
The banning of Damus from the Chinese App Store will not really prevent the use of the application in the country. Indeed, the Chinese can still circumvent the sanctions and use the latter thanks to VPNs. After all, despite the ban on crypto in the country, a good portion of the population owns tokens.
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