Bitchat, the decentralized messaging application created by Jack Dorsey that functions without internet connectivity, has been removed from Apple and Google's app stores in India following a government directive, according to a TechCrunch report published Saturday. Dorsey disclosed that Indian authorities ordered Apple to pull the app from its App Store in the country, months after New Delhi initially moved to restrict the open-source software. The removal comes amid fresh youth-led demonstrations over changes to India's voter rolls.
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the removal demand under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, the nation's main legal mechanism for government-ordered online blocking, according to a notice from Apple that Dorsey shared on X. Apple confirmed the app would continue to be available on its App Store outside India, though access through its TestFlight beta-testing service would also be blocked domestically. TechCrunch verified on Saturday that Bitchat was no longer downloadable through Google Play in India, and the app's website was inaccessible across multiple internet service providers in the country. Interest in Bitchat had surged in India during July protests, with the country representing roughly 85% of the app's worldwide downloads between July 17 and July 23, up from about 1% in the prior 30 days, data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower revealed.
The Indian government stated in its July order to GitHub that Bitchat's design makes it difficult for law enforcement to intercept communications or identify users, and highlighted its capacity to keep functioning during internet shutdowns, according to the report. That July directive, which required GitHub to remove repositories linked to the open-source messaging app, relied on a provision of India's information technology law addressing intermediaries and their responsibility for third-party content, different from Section 69A cited in Apple's latest notice. The Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights advocacy organization based in New Delhi, called the latest order unconstitutional, contending that Section 69A permits the government to block unlawful information but not a messaging app based on its ability to work during internet shutdowns.
The restrictions target an app that uses Bluetooth mesh networking to enable nearby devices to swap encrypted messages without depending on cellular networks, internet access, or centralized servers, features that made it attractive during July demonstrations when protesters reportedly switched to Bitchat and competing app Briar after authorities suspended internet services. The latest blocking order surfaces as India experiences a new wave of youth-led protests over alterations to the country's voter rolls, with police detaining multiple individuals during demonstrations in New Delhi on Saturday as protesters called for the resignation of India's chief election commissioner over alleged electoral roll manipulation. Authorities suspended internet services around New Delhi's Jantar Mantar for 12 hours on Friday during protests there, the report notes. The Internet Freedom Foundation also noted that neither the blocking order nor the allegedly illegal content cited as justification for the action had been disclosed publicly, raising concerns among digital rights advocates and legal experts about the legal foundation for restricting software based on its functionality.
The removal of Bitchat from Indian app stores marks an escalation in government efforts to control communication tools that can bypass internet shutdowns, particularly as demonstrations continue over electoral concerns. Apple, Google, and India's IT ministry did not respond to requests for comment, leaving unclear whether Google and internet service providers received similar federal directives. Governments facing persistent civic unrest may increasingly view mesh networking and decentralized communication tools as threats to control rather than innovations, potentially setting precedents that reshape how platforms design their core architecture.