Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat Gets Banned in India

Synopsis

Bitchat, Jack Dorsey’s decentralized messaging app designed to work without an internet connection, has disappeared from Apple and Google app stores in India, months after New Delhi first sought to restrict access to the open-source software.

The Order from the Government

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 on X, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the demand under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, the country’s primary legal provision for government-ordered online blocking.

Apple’s 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.

Bitchat was also no longer available for download through Google Play in India. Bitchat’s 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.

What Exactly Is Bitchat?

Bitchat is a decentralised messaging app developed by Twitter co-founder and Block CEO Jack Dorsey. Unlike WhatsApp or Telegram, it does not depend on a traditional internet connection for nearby messaging. It uses Bluetooth mesh networking, allowing phones in proximity to connect with one another and relay messages between devices.

The app was designed to work without phone numbers, email addresses, or a central server. Its architecture also supports encrypted messaging.

In simple terms, if mobile internet is unavailable but nearby phones have Bluetooth switched on, Bitchat can still allow users to communicate within the range of its network.

Dorsey announced Bitchat in July 2025, describing it as a weekend project to explore Bluetooth mesh networks, message relays, and encryption.

Why Did the Indian Government Ban It?

The Indian government said in its order to GitHub at the time that Bitchat’s 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 2026 order relied on a provision of India’s information technology law that deals with intermediaries and their liability for third-party content. That differs from Section 69A, cited in Apple’s latest notice.

The Internet Freedom Foundation, a New Delhi-based digital rights advocacy group, called 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.

The latest restrictions on Bitchat come as India is seeing a fresh wave of youth-led protests over changes to the country’s voter rolls. Police detained several people during the protests in New Delhi on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as protesters demanded the resignation of India’s chief election commissioner over alleged manipulation of electoral rolls.

Authorities suspended internet services around New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for 12 hours on Friday, October 2, 2026, during protests there. During July’s protests, demonstrators reportedly turned to Bitchat and rival app Briar after authorities suspended internet services.

Interest in Bitchat surged in India around the same time. The country accounted for about 85% of the app’s global downloads between July 17 and July 23, 2026, up from roughly 1% in the previous 30 days, data from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower showed.