Overview
- Apple removed Jack Dorsey’s decentralized messaging app from its China App Store at the request of the Cyberspace Administration of China.
- Apple also cut off the app’s TestFlight beta in China, which blocks new iPhone users there from downloading Bitchat through Apple’s channels while not removing existing installs.
- Regulators said Bitchat fell under Article 3, a rule for services that can shape public opinion or enable social mobilization and that requires a security review before launch.
- Apple told the developer that apps must follow laws in each country and said it is the developer’s responsibility to ensure compliance.
- Bitchat remains available elsewhere and has passed three million installs, helped by Bluetooth mesh messaging that works without the internet and by use during shutdowns and protests.