Bitchat has become largely unavailable in India after the government asked Apple to remove it from the App Store in the country, according to a notice posted by Jack Dorsey. The request was based on Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act, the main legal framework the government uses to block online content and services.
Apple confirmed in its notice that the app would remain available outside India, but also said that access to it through TestFlight, the service used to test beta versions, would be blocked inside the country. When TechCrunch checked, Bitchat was no longer available for download through Google Play in India, and its website could not be accessed through several internet service providers. It was unclear whether Google and telecommunications providers had received similar direct instructions.
An App Designed to Work During Internet Shutdowns
Bitchat was launched in July 2025 and uses Bluetooth Mesh networks to enable nearby devices to exchange encrypted messages without relying on mobile networks, an internet connection, or centralized servers. This architecture gives it the ability to continue operating in conditions that differ radically from traditional messaging apps, which rely on centralized server infrastructure.
In July 2026, Dorsey said that Indian authorities had ordered GitHub to remove repositories associated with the app. The government said at the time that Bitchat’s architecture made it difficult for law enforcement agencies to intercept communications or track users, and also pointed to its ability to operate during internet shutdowns. That request was based on a legal provision concerning intermediaries and their responsibility for third-party content, which differs from the Section 69A cited in Apple’s latest notice.
Why Does This Decision Matter?
The action does not concern an app-store update or a commercial change to the product, but the possibility of blocking open-source software because of its technical characteristics and its ability to resist the effects of internet shutdowns. This places the design of communications tools themselves at the center of the regulatory dispute, rather than only the content published through them.
The Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital-rights advocacy group based in New Delhi, said the latest order was unconstitutional. The group believes that Section 69A permits the blocking of unlawful information, but does not allow an app to be blocked merely because it can operate during internet shutdowns. It also said that the blocking order and the basis concerning the alleged unlawful content had not been made public.
Protest Context
The blocking coincides with a new wave of protests led by young people in India over changes to voter rolls. During protests in New Delhi, authorities suspended internet services around the Jantar Mantar area for 12 hours on Friday, while protesters used Bitchat and the Briar app during July protests after internet services were suspended.
This affected the app’s distribution; India accounted for about 85% of Bitchat’s downloads worldwide between July 17 and 23, compared with about 1% during the preceding 30 days, according to data from Sensor Tower. The full legal basis for the decision, and the scope of the instructions issued to Google and internet providers, remain undisclosed in the available material.