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Bitchat, Jack Dorsey\u2019s decentralized messaging app designed to work without an internet connection, has disappeared from Apple and Google\u2019s app stores in India, months after New Delhi first sought to restrict access to the open-source software.<\/p>\n
Dorsey said Saturday that the Indian government had ordered Apple to remove Bitchat from its App Store in the country. In a notice from Apple that Dorsey posted<\/a> on X, India\u2019s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the demand under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, the country\u2019s primary legal provision for government-ordered online blocking.<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s notice said Bitchat would remain available on its App Store outside India. However, access to the app through its TestFlight beta-testing service would also be blocked in the country.<\/p>\n Bitchat was also no longer available for download through Google Play in India when TechCrunch checked on Saturday. Bitchat\u2019s website was also inaccessible across various internet service providers in the country. It was not immediately clear whether Google and internet service providers had also received directions from the federal government.<\/p>\n Apple, Google, and India\u2019s IT ministry did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n Launched in July last year, Bitchat uses Bluetooth mesh networking<\/a> to allow nearby devices to exchange encrypted messages without relying on cellular networks, internet access, or centralized servers.<\/p>\n In July 2026, Dorsey revealed<\/a> that Indian authorities had ordered GitHub to take down repositories associated with the open-source messaging app, raising questions<\/a> among digital rights advocates and legal experts about the legal basis for restricting software based on its functionality.<\/p>\n The Indian government said in its order to GitHub at the time that Bitchat\u2019s architecture made it hard for law enforcement agencies to intercept communications or trace users, and pointed to its ability to continue operating during internet shutdowns. The July order relied on a provision of India\u2019s information technology law that deals with intermediaries and their liability for third-party content. That differs from Section 69A, cited in Apple\u2019s latest notice.<\/p>\n The Internet Freedom Foundation, a New Delhi-based digital rights advocacy group, called<\/a> the latest order unconstitutional, arguing that Section 69A allows the government to block unlawful information but not a messaging app because of its ability to operate during internet shutdowns. It also said neither the blocking order nor the allegedly illegal content cited as the basis for the action had been made public.<\/p>\n The latest restrictions on Bitchat come as India is seeing a fresh wave of \u2060youth-led protests over changes to the country\u2019s voter rolls. Police detained several people during demonstrations<\/a> in New Delhi on Saturday, as protesters demanded the resignation of India\u2019s chief election commissioner over alleged manipulation of electoral rolls. Authorities suspended internet services<\/a> around New Delhi\u2019s Jantar Mantar for 12 hours on Friday during protests there.<\/p>\n During July\u2019s protests, demonstrators reportedly turned<\/a> to Bitchat and rival app Briar after authorities suspended internet services.<\/p>\n Interest in Bitchat surged in India around the same time. The country accounted for about 85% of the app\u2019s global downloads between July 17 and July 23, up from roughly 1% in the previous 30 days, data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower showed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission<\/a>. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/em><\/p>\n