Jack Dorsey's Bitchat removed from Indian app stores

Bitchat, the decentralized messaging platform co-founded by Jack Dorsey, formerly of Twitter, has been removed from app stores in India. Both Google Play and Apple's App Store no longer list the application following an order from the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

Dorsey shared an email from Apple on social media, stating the company was directed by MeitY to remove the app under Section 69A of the IT Act. The email indicated the app allegedly contained content deemed illegal in India, but did not specify what content triggered the directive. Apple also blocked Bitchat's beta testing access via TestFlight within India.

The app is also unavailable on the Google Play Store, and its website appears to be inaccessible in the country. It remains unclear if these actions are related to the same government order. Bitchat, launched in 2025, is an open-source app designed for peer-to-peer communication using Bluetooth mesh networks, bypassing the need for internet connectivity or central servers.

This is not the first regulatory challenge for Bitchat in India. In July, Dorsey claimed Indian authorities had ordered GitHub to remove Bitchat repositories. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) had raised concerns that the app's anonymous communication features could hinder investigations by preventing authorities from obtaining subscriber details or communication records.