The Indian government has ordered Microsoft-owned GitHub to remove Bitchat, a decentralized messaging app developed by Block CEO Jack Dorsey. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) issued the directive, citing national security risks and the app's potential to circumvent lawful surveillance.
Bitchat operates without internet or cellular service by utilizing a peer-to-peer Bluetooth mesh network. Authorities state this technology impedes investigations because it allows users to communicate during internet shutdowns.
The enforcement follows reports of demonstrators in Delhi using the app after mobile internet services were suspended. Dorsey publicized the takedown notice on X, stating that the Indian government opposes technologies like Bitchat.