The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a Section 69(A) takedown order on Tuesday, demanding that Apple and Google remove the Bluetooth‑based messaging app Bitchat from their India stores. The notice cited the app’s capacity to transmit messages over decentralized mesh networks, a feature that could be exploited to evade lawful surveillance during public disorder.
Jack Dorsey, co‑founder of Twitter and developer of Bitchat, posted an X (formerly Twitter) thread on Saturday confirming the removal, tagging the official Apple notice that read, “per demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).” He added that the app “includes content that is illegal in India” and urged users to seek clarification from the ministry.
Bitchat’s core technology enables users to turn on Bluetooth and send messages to nearby devices, bypassing internet connectivity. In July, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (ICCC) had ordered GitHub to pull the app after protesters at Jantar Mantar used it to coordinate during temporary internet shutdowns. The ICCC warned that such offline communication could facilitate coordination by anti‑national elements.
The ministry’s statement stressed that maintaining law and order is a duty, and that the removal is not a ban on minors or a broader social‑media crackdown. “We are consulting industry and experts to find a better solution,” it said, hinting at future policy adjustments.
Although Bitchat remains available in other territories, Apple’s App Review team will block downloads in India and disable TestFlight links. The app’s removal is effective immediately, and users in India who had already downloaded the app will lose update support.
A protester who had used Bitchat at Jantar Mantar last month said it allowed them to share information when cellular networks were throttled. Whether the app’s feature will be re‑introduced under a different framework remains to be seen.