Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat Goes Offline In India, Apple Cites MeitY Order

Bitchat, the decentralized messaging platform founded by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey, has been taken down from both the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store in India due to an official government order. Dorsey announced the removal on X after receiving an email from Apple stating that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had issued instructions under Section 69A of the IT Act for the app's removal.

The email did not specify the content that led to the takedown. Apple informed the developer to contact MeitY for more information. The app’s beta testing via TestFlight has also been blocked, but Bitchat remains accessible outside India on the App Store. The app is no longer downloadable from the Google Play Store or accessible on its website in India.

Bitchat, launched by Dorsey in 2025, is an open-source messaging app that enables peer-to-peer (P2P) communication via Bluetooth mesh networks, without requiring internet access or a central server. Users do not need to create accounts, and the app has no central identity system. It can be used during internet outages, natural disasters, or in areas with poor network coverage.

This is not the first time Bitchat has faced regulatory issues in India; in July, Dorsey claimed the government directed GitHub to remove Bitchat-related repositories. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) had warned that Bitchat’s anonymous communication could prevent authorities from obtaining subscriber details or communication records during investigations and could be used to evade surveillance and organize unlawful assemblies or criminal activities.

The action against Bitchat is part of the government's broader plan to increase scrutiny of social media platforms. MeitY had proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021, requiring platforms to remove content that could lead to unlawful acts within three hours of receiving a court order or government notice.