Jack Dorsey backed decentralized communications platform Bitchat has been taken down from mainstream mobile distribution channels in India, following formal blocking instructions issued by federal authorities. The open-source application, which earned widespread attention for facilitating encrypted communication without an active internet connection, is no longer accessible through primary mobile app repositories in the country, marking an escalation in regulatory scrutiny against peer-to-peer software tools.
Enforcement Under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act
Dorsey confirmed the removal, stating on X that the Indian government directed Apple to delist Bitchat from its domestic App Store marketplace. A regulatory notification transmitted by Apple revealed that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology executed the blocking order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. This statutory provision serves as the central legal instrument empowering the government to restrict public access to digital information across networks.
The communication delivered to the developer specified that Bitchat remains accessible via the App Store in international jurisdictions. In India, however, availability through Apple's TestFlight beta-testing environment has been shut down alongside the public storefront. Furthermore, the client disappeared from Google Play downloads within the domestic market, and its official web portal became unreachable across multiple internet service providers operating in the territory. Official representatives for Apple, Google, and the IT ministry did not issue public comments regarding the enforcement.
Bluetooth Mesh Framework and Law Enforcement Scrutiny
Introduced in July of last year, Bitchat relies on Bluetooth mesh technology, establishing ad-hoc connections across local hardware to exchange end-to-end encrypted messages. Because the network architecture bypasses cellular infrastructure, internet gateways, and centralized data routing, it functions independently of traditional telecommunications infrastructure.
Regulatory pressure against the platform had surfaced earlier. In July 2026, Dorsey revealed on X that Indian authorities had instructed code-hosting portal GitHub to remove repositories linked to the open-source software. In that previous directive, official notices argued that the decentralised system created substantial obstacles for security agencies attempting to intercept communication or trace individual participants, specifically calling out the utility's capacity to bypass regional telecommunications suspensions. While that earlier GitHub notice relied on intermediary liability provisions, the latest intervention invokes Section 69A directly.
Legal Pushback and Surging Adoption Amid Civil Unrest
The regulatory action drew immediate criticism from digital rights advocates. The New Delhi-based Internet Freedom Foundation stated on X that the order is unconstitutional. The advocacy group emphasized that Section 69A authorizes restrictions on specific unlawful content rather than blanket prohibitions against communication utilities merely because they function during connectivity blackouts. The group also pointed out that authorities kept both the blocking directive and the specific alleged violations entirely confidential.
The delisting coincides with heightened political friction regarding updates to national voter rolls. Law enforcement personnel detained multiple participants in New Delhi during demonstrations demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner over voter register alterations, following a 12-hour local internet suspension around Jantar Mantar. During similar connectivity blackouts in July, participants turned toward offline mesh utilities including Bitchat and alternative tool Briar. Market analytics from Sensor Tower indicated that India generated approximately 85 percent of all worldwide Bitchat installations between July 17 and July 23, jumping from roughly 1 percent in the preceding 30-day window.
