Indian Authorities Demand Removal of Bitchat Messenger for Bypassing Internet Shutdowns
Daniel
2026-07-27
Read time
1 minutes
The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre has issued a demand to the GitHub platform to remove Bitchat, a decentralized messaging application that operates via Bluetooth. Jack Dorsey, the app's developer and former CEO of Twitter, confirmed receiving the notice dated July 23, noting the government's reluctance to permit such technologies.
Reasons for the Ban and Security Threats
Regulators state that Bitchat allows users to communicate during internet shutdowns by establishing connection channels that bypass mobile networks and centralized servers. The application's anonymity, lack of phone number registration, and absence of communication logs prevent law enforcement from detecting criminal activity. According to the agency, this creates risks of the platform being exploited by terrorists and radical groups during public unrest.
The restrictions were triggered by recent protests organized by the Cockroach Janata Party at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Following temporary internet shutdowns in the area, demonstrators switched to Bluetooth-based messaging apps to coordinate. Authorities claim that Bitchat's architecture violates Sections 43, 84B, and 84C of the IT Act, as well as Section 61 read with Sections 196 and 197.
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