3 hrs ago
India Removes Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat From App Stores
Bitchat is a messaging app created by Jack Dorsey.
It lets nearby phones pass messages to one another using Bluetooth, so it can work without the internet.
The messages are encrypted, and the app does not require a phone number or central server.
India’s government says this design can make it harder to identify people communicating and investigate unlawful activity.
Digital rights advocates say a tool should not be restricted just because it might be misused.
India asked for the app to be removed from app stores, and Apple and Google have done so there.
The government has not said what specific content it considers illegal.
People who already have the app may still be able to use it, and open-source copies may also be shared elsewhere.
Apple and Google removed Bitchat from their Indian app stores after a MeitY request under Section 69A of the IT Act.
The app uses Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking to relay encrypted messages between nearby devices without internet access.
India’s government said Bitchat’s design can impede lawful interception and investigations, and could be misused for unlawful activity.
The notice said the app contained content illegal in India, but authorities did not identify the content or specify the Section 69A ground.
The removal blocks new app-store downloads but does not automatically remove the app from existing users’ phones.
- Who
- Jack Dorsey developed Bitchat; India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology requested its removal.
- What
- Bitchat was removed from app stores in India.
- Where
- Apple’s Indian App Store and Google Play Store in India.
- When
- The article reports the removal on Saturday, October 3; it does not specify the year.
- Why
- The government said the app contained content illegal in India and raised concerns that its design impedes lawful interception and investigation.
Digital rights and privacy advocates
Indian authorities
Privacy versus traceability
Digital rights and privacy advocates
The app’s encryption and decentralized design can protect communications and help people stay connected during outages or internet shutdowns.
Indian authorities
The lack of registration, central logs and readily identifiable users can make lawful interception and investigations harder.
Whether the technology should be restricted
Digital rights and privacy advocates
The Internet Freedom Foundation argued that authorities should identify specific unlawful content rather than target a tool merely because it could be misused.
Indian authorities
Authorities warned that the technology could be misused by terrorist organisations, cybercriminals and other unlawful groups, including to coordinate violence or criminal activity.
Key facts
- Developer
- Jack Dorsey
- Removal request
- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- Legal provision cited
- Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000
- Connection method
- Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking
- Internet requirement
- Messages can be relayed between nearby devices without cellular service or Wi-Fi.
- Government’s stated concern
- The architecture can impede lawful interception, attribution and investigation.
- Effect of store removal
- New downloads are restricted; removal does not automatically uninstall the app from existing users’ phones.
Quotes
Jack Dorsey
Bitchat developer and X co-founder
“The Government of India officially removes Bitchat from the app store.”
firstpost.com
Sources
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