Indian Government Targets Bitchat App Amid Protests
The Indian government has reportedly issued a takedown notice against Jack Dorsey’s offline messaging app, Bitchat, citing concerns over its potential to facilitate unlawful activity during internet shutdowns. The move follows weeks of student-led protests in New Delhi related to alleged examination paper leaks and comes amid heightened scrutiny of digital communication tools used by demonstrators. Authorities are targeting the open-source code for Bitchat on GitHub under a new legal approach that critics argue lacks clear statutory backing. The notice, issued by India’s Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), does not point to specific illegal content but instead focuses on how the app functions—particularly its ability to operate without internet connectivity or central servers. This has raised concerns among digital rights groups about overreach and the implications for open-source software development. Bitchat saw a significant surge in downloads from India, with 91,000 installations recorded between July 17–23 alone. Critics argue that removing repositories does not stop users who already have the app installed.
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Topics: Bitchat censorship India internet restrictions Jack Dorsey open-source software