Overview
- The app was removed from Apple’s India App Store and Google Play after a ministry demand, and public TestFlight links for India were reported blocked.
- The ministry used Section 69A of the Information Technology Act to compel the takedown, citing law‑and‑order and national‑security grounds.
- Officials say Bitchat’s multi‑hop Bluetooth mesh lets messages hop between nearby phones without mobile networks, allowing communication during local internet shutdowns.
- The Home Ministry cybercrime arm previously ordered GitHub to disable Bitchat code in July after users reportedly used Bluetooth messaging during protests at Jantar Mantar.
- Jack Dorsey criticised the removal while the app stays available outside India, and the action has reopened debate over enforcement limits, lawful surveillance and digital‑rights protections.