India Orders Apple to Remove Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat From App Store
India orders Apple to remove Jack Dorsey's offline messenger Bitchat, as Google Play, TestFlight and its website also become unavailable across the country.
Summary
Jack Dorsey said on October 3, 2026, that India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered Apple to remove Bitchat from the Indian App Store under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. Apple also blocked Indian access through TestFlight but kept the app available elsewhere. Bitchat disappeared from Google Play in India, and its website became inaccessible through several internet providers, although federal orders to Google and those providers remain unconfirmed. Apple, Google and the ministry did not comment. Launched in July 2025, Bitchat uses Bluetooth mesh networking to exchange encrypted messages among nearby devices without cellular networks, internet access or centralized servers.
India ordered GitHub in July 2026 to remove Bitchat repositories, citing difficulties intercepting communications, tracing users and stopping operation during internet shutdowns, under a separate intermediary liability provision. The Internet Freedom Foundation called the latest block unconstitutional, arguing Section 69A covers unlawful information, not an app’s shutdown resistance; neither the order nor the allegedly illegal content is public. The restrictions coincide with youth protests over alleged voter roll manipulation. Police detained demonstrators in New Delhi on Saturday, while protesters demanded the chief election commissioner’s resignation; authorities had suspended internet service around Jantar Mantar for 12 hours on Friday. Protesters used Bitchat and rival Briar during July shutdowns. Sensor Tower found India generated about 85% of Bitchat’s global downloads from July 17 to July 23, up from roughly 1% during the preceding 30 days.
Positives
- Bitchat remains available through Apple’s App Store outside India despite the domestic removal order.
- Bluetooth mesh networking lets nearby users exchange encrypted messages without internet, cellular networks or centralized servers.
- India produced about 85% of Bitchat’s global downloads from July 17 to July 23, up from roughly 1% previously.
- Bitchat and Briar kept protesters connected during internet suspensions in July 2026.
- The Internet Freedom Foundation is challenging the constitutional and statutory basis of the latest restriction.
Risks & concerns
- Apple removed Bitchat and blocked TestFlight access in India following an order issued under Section 69A.
- Google Play no longer offers Bitchat in India, while its website is inaccessible through several internet providers.
- India ordered GitHub in July 2026 to remove Bitchat repositories because authorities could not easily intercept or trace communications.
- Neither the latest blocking order nor the allegedly unlawful content supporting it has been made public.
- Authorities suspended internet service around Jantar Mantar for 12 hours amid protests over alleged voter roll manipulation.