Spritz Chat × Alien: Enabling Censorship-Resistant Human Communication
Around 2.3 billion people in 17 countries are affected by full bans, partial bans, throttling, or interference with popular messaging and calling applications. These restrictions impact text messaging, voice calls, and video calls, often across national borders. As a result, families, friends, and communities are unable to communicate freely.
A major reason these restrictions are effective is how most communication platforms identify users.
Why Phone Numbers Enable Censorship
Most messaging apps rely on phone numbers as a primary identifier. Phone numbers expose geographic and country-level information, making it easy for governments and network providers to block or restrict communication.
| Issue | Impact |
|---|---|
| Phone number reveals country code | Users can be blocked based on nationality |
| Phone numbers tied to telecom providers | Governments can pressure or control access |
| Centralized user databases | Easy targets for shutdowns and surveillance |
| IP and number correlation | Enables throttling and selective blocking |
For example, Russia blocks or throttles WhatsApp and Telegram communication with users in certain countries. Identification is primarily done through phone numbers, not message content. This demonstrates how infrastructure design, rather than speech, enables censorship.
The Core Technical Challenge
To overcome these restrictions, communication systems must solve two problems at the same time:
| Challenge | Description |
|---|---|
| Censorship resistance | Communication must function without centralized servers |
| Privacy | Users must not expose phone numbers or personal data |
| Human verification | Systems must prevent bots, spam, and AI misuse |
| Decentralization | No single entity should control the network |
Traditional systems fail because they rely on centralized identity and infrastructure.
Spritz Chat: Decentralized Communication Layer
Spritz Chat enables peer-to-peer messaging and video calls over blockchain, removing reliance on centralized servers that can be blocked or shut down.
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Built on Ethereum | Global, decentralized infrastructure |
| No central servers | No single shutdown point |
| Peer-to-peer communication | Reduced surveillance and interception |
| Blockchain-based routing | Increased censorship resistance |
Ethereum is maintained by thousands of nodes and over a million validators worldwide, meaning no single government or company controls the network.
Alien: Privacy-Preserving Proof of Personhood
Alien addresses the problem of human verification without compromising privacy. Its Continuous Human Verification Protocol (CHVP) allows users to prove they are human without phone numbers, government IDs, or biometric databases.
| Capability | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Proof of personhood | Distinguishes humans from bots and AI |
| No phone numbers or IDs | Eliminates location-based blocking |
| Continuous verification | Prevents identity reuse or spoofing |
| Encrypted and decentralized | No central database to exploit |
Alien prevents Sybil attacks, spam, and automated manipulation while preserving anonymity.
Why This Partnership Matters
Individually, Spritz Chat and Alien address different parts of the problem. Together, they solve the full stack of issues that enable censorship and surveillance.
| Problem | Traditional Apps | Spritz Chat + Alien |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number dependency | Required | Not needed |
| Central servers | Yes | No |
| Government shutdown risk | High | Low |
| Bot and AI abuse | Common | Prevented |
| Privacy protection | Limited | Built-in |
Alien ensures that only real humans participate, while Spritz Chat ensures those humans can communicate without centralized control.
Result: Human-to-Human Communication Without Control Points
By combining decentralized communication with privacy-preserving human verification, Spritz Chat and Alien enable users to chat and video call without exposing personal information or geographic identity.
There is no phone number to block, no server to seize, and no centralized identity system to exploit.
This partnership creates a communication network that is:
- Censorship-resistant — No central points of failure
- Human-only — Verified personhood without identity exposure
- Privacy-first — No phone numbers, no tracking, no surveillance
We are addressing the exact technical and structural weaknesses that governments currently use to restrict global communication.
Human connection should be free from control. That's what we're building together.