Jack Dorsey's Bitchat app vanishes from Indian app stores after government order

Bitchat, the decentralized messaging app created by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey that works without an internet connection, has disappeared from both Apple's and Google's app stores in India. Dorsey said Saturday that the Indian government had ordered Apple to remove the app from its App Store in the country.

Dorsey shared Apple's notice on X, which showed India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act — the country's main legal basis for government-mandated online blocking. Apple's notice stated Bitchat would remain available outside India, but access through its TestFlight beta-testing service would also be blocked within the country. The app was also unavailable on Google Play in India as of Saturday, and Bitchat's website was inaccessible through some internet providers there.

Second order in months

This marks the second restriction placed on Bitchat in recent months. In July, Indian authorities had ordered GitHub to remove repositories tied to the open-source app, citing a different provision of the IT law dealing with intermediary liability for third-party content. At the time, officials argued the app's architecture made it difficult for law enforcement to intercept communications or trace users, and noted its ability to keep functioning during internet shutdowns.

The Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital rights group based in New Delhi, called the latest order unconstitutional, arguing that Section 69A is meant to block unlawful content, not an app based on its technical capabilities, and criticized the lack of public disclosure around the order or its stated justification.

Bitchat relies on Bluetooth mesh networking, letting nearby devices exchange encrypted messages without cellular networks, internet access, or centralized servers. It launched in July last year and saw a surge in Indian downloads during July's protests, when internet shutdowns pushed users toward offline-capable apps — India accounted for roughly 85% of the app's global downloads during that period. The latest restrictions arrive as India experiences a fresh wave of youth-led protests over changes to the country's electoral rolls, with police detaining demonstrators in New Delhi over the weekend.