Apple and Google pull offline messaging app Bitchat from app stores in India

Apple and Google have removed the decentralized offline messaging app Bitchat from their app stores in India, following government orders tied to the platform's unique technology. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey shared a notice on X showing that India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the takedown order to Apple under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The notice stated the app included illegal content and did not meet App Review Guidelines, though it did not specify the exact material or grounds cited. Alongside the App Store removal, Apple blocked access to the app's TestFlight beta testing service in the country while keeping it available in other regions. TechCrunch reported that the app also disappeared from Google Play, and the platform's website became inaccessible across various internet service providers.

Background

Bitchat was launched in July of last year and uses a Bluetooth Low Energy mesh network to let nearby phones exchange encrypted messages without cellular networks, Wi-Fi, or central servers. The software also supports the Nostr protocol when internet access is available. Indian authorities previously targeted the project in July, when the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre asked GitHub to restrict the app's repositories. Officials argued at the time that the app's design made lawful interception and user tracing difficult, and allowed communication to continue during internet shutdowns.

Context

Digital rights groups, including the Internet Freedom Foundation, have criticized the blocking orders as unconstitutional for targeting software functionality rather than specific unlawful information. Section 69A of the IT Act is the country's primary legal provision for government-ordered online content blocking, though the specific details of the flagged content have not been made public.