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Apple Removes Bitchat from India App Store After Government Demand
Apple removed the messaging app Bitchat from its India App Store after a request from the Indian government.
Bitchat lets nearby phones pass messages to one another using Bluetooth.
People can use it without mobile data or Wi-Fi.
The app has been discussed in connection with protests where internet access was restricted.
Removing it from the store means people in India cannot download it there or get its updates.
It does not erase the app from phones that already have it.
The government’s notice said the app included content that was illegal in India, but the article does not identify that content.
A digital rights group says the removal was unconstitutional and wants the government to explain and publish its order.
Apple removed Bitchat from its India App Store after a takedown demand from India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Developer Jack Dorsey shared what appeared to be an Apple App Review notice on October 3, 2026.
Bitchat uses Bluetooth to let nearby users exchange messages without internet access, phone numbers, or central servers.
The removal prevents new downloads and security updates but does not delete the app from phones where it is already installed.
The Internet Freedom Foundation called the removal unconstitutional and demanded publication of the blocking order and an opportunity for the developers to be heard.
- Who
- Apple, at the request of India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, removed Bitchat; developer Jack Dorsey and the Internet Freedom Foundation commented on the decision.
- What
- Bitchat was removed from the India App Store following a government takedown demand.
- Where
- India’s App Store.
- When
- The removal was reported on October 3, 2026.
- Why
- Apple’s notice said the app included content illegal in India; the government’s demand was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Government and Apple Notice
Internet Freedom Foundation
Basis for removal
Government and Apple Notice
The Apple notice said the app included content that is illegal in India, and the government issued its demand under Section 69A.
Internet Freedom Foundation
The Internet Freedom Foundation said the notice did not identify the allegedly illegal content or the specific grounds invoked under Section 69A.
Blocking a communications app
Government and Apple Notice
The government sought the app’s removal; the article does not provide a fuller explanation of its reasoning.
Internet Freedom Foundation
The foundation argued that Section 69A permits blocking unlawful information, not removing a messaging tool because it works during internet shutdowns.
Transparency and process
Government and Apple Notice
Apple’s notice said the developer could contact the ministry for information about the removal or Indian requirements.
Internet Freedom Foundation
The foundation demanded publication of the blocking order and committee record, a copy for the developers, and an opportunity for a hearing; it also called for the direction to be withdrawn.
Key facts
- App
- Bitchat, an open-source, decentralised messaging application.
- Removal
- Apple removed the app from its India App Store after a ministry demand.
- Legal provision
- Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
- How it works
- Uses Bluetooth Low Energy to connect nearby phones and relay messages.
- Effect
- New downloads and security updates are unavailable through the India App Store; existing installations are not deleted.
- Developer
- Jack Dorsey shared what appeared to be an Apple App Review notice on October 3, 2026.
- Digital rights response
- The Internet Freedom Foundation called the removal unconstitutional and said the blocking order had not been published.
Quotes
Internet Freedom Foundation
Digital rights organisation that criticized the app’s removal.
“The ability of a citizen to speak to another citizen while the state has switched the internet off is not a ground for restriction under Section 69A or Article 19(2) of the Constitution”
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“Any specific unlawful use must be met with targeted proceedings under due process, not the removal of a communications tool for everyone.”
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Apple App Review team
Apple team whose notice to the app developer was shared by Jack Dorsey.
“your application…will be removed from India App Store because it includes content that is illegal in India”
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Sources
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