The Indian government has directed GitHub to remove repositories hosting Bitchat, the Bluetooth-based offline messaging application developed by former Twitter (now X) CEO Jack Dorsey, citing concerns over national security, public order and lawful surveillance. The notice, reportedly issued by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), warns that the application poses a “substantial risk of misuse” by criminal and anti-national actors.
The development came to light after Dorsey shared what appeared to be the government’s takedown notice on X, writing, “the government of India does not like technologies like bitchat and wants it taken down.”
According to the notice, Bitchat allows users to communicate over a decentralised Bluetooth mesh network, enabling messages to travel from one nearby device to another without relying on mobile networks, Wi-Fi, SIM cards or internet connectivity. Authorities argue that this architecture makes the platform difficult to monitor through conventional legal interception mechanisms.
The government reportedly told GitHub that the application’s ability to facilitate anonymous, offline communication presents a “substantial risk of misuse by terrorists, organised crime groups and anti-national elements to evade lawful surveillance.” It also expressed concerns that such technologies could be used to coordinate unlawful activities during periods of internet restrictions.
The notice reportedly invokes Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, asking GitHub to disable access to the repositories within the prescribed compliance window.
The move comes amid ongoing protests in Delhi, where reports suggested that some demonstrators had begun using offline messaging applications to stay connected during internet shutdowns and network disruptions. Because Bitchat functions without central servers or telecom infrastructure, it has drawn attention as a communication tool in situations where internet access is unavailable.
