India Orders GitHub to Remove Offline Messaging App Bitchat Over Security Concerns
साउन ९, २०८३ १४:५१
Kathmandu. The Indian government has directed Microsoft-owned GitHub to remove Bitchat, a Bluetooth-based messaging application developed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, citing concerns that the platform could be misused for criminal and anti-national activities.
The order was issued by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under India's Ministry of Home Affairs.
Dorsey disclosed the government's notice, dated July 24, in a post on social media platform X, alleging that Indian authorities were attempting to suppress technologies like Bitchat. As of now, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre has not publicly responded to media inquiries regarding the matter.
Unlike conventional messaging apps, Bitchat enables users to communicate without an internet connection or mobile network by using Bluetooth mesh networking. According to the government notice, this decentralized architecture could allow terrorists, cybercriminals, and anti-national groups to communicate without detection.
Authorities also argued that the application lacks basic accountability features such as user registration, phone number verification, and centralized communication logs, making it significantly more difficult for security agencies to monitor communications or conduct criminal investigations.
The notice further claimed that Bitchat was used during recent protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where the Cockroach Janata Party demonstrated over the NEET examination paper leak, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, among other demands.
According to the government, protesters continued communicating through Bitchat's Bluetooth mesh network even after internet services around the protest site were reportedly restricted.
The notice also warned that decentralized communication platforms like Bitchat could facilitate unlawful gatherings, violent demonstrations, and the spread of misinformation, potentially posing risks to India's sovereignty, integrity, and public order.
Indian newspaper The Hindu reported that these concerns formed the basis of the government's action against the application.
According to the notice sent to GitHub, Bitchat allegedly violates Sections 43, 61, 84-B, 84-C, 196, and 197 of India's Information Technology Act.
The app also gained significant attention in Nepal during the September 8–9 Gen Z protests. At the time, as several social media platforms were restricted and speculation grew over a possible nationwide internet shutdown, many Nepali users turned to Bitchat as an alternative means of staying connected without relying on mobile networks or internet services.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: साउन ९, २०८३ १४:५१
