Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat removed from Indian app stores following government order
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered Apple to remove Jack Dorsey's messaging app Bitchat from its App Store in the country on Saturday.
App removal confirmed by Apple
Jack Dorsey posted a notice on X stating that the Indian government demanded the removal of the decentralized messaging application. The app is no longer available for download on either the Apple App Store or Google Play in India. Access through the TestFlight beta-testing service has also been blocked within the country.
Government cites IT Act section
The demand was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which serves as the primary legal provision for government-ordered online blocking. Bitchat's website became inaccessible across various internet service providers in the region when TechCrunch checked on Saturday. It remains unclear whether Google and local internet service providers received separate directions from the federal government.
Service continues outside India
Apple confirmed that Bitchat will remain available on its App Store for users located outside of India. The application was launched in July last year and uses Bluetooth mesh networking to exchange encrypted messages without relying on cellular networks.
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