India Orders Takedown of Jack Dorsey’s Bitcoin-Linked Messaging App Bitchat
The order gave GitHub three hours to disable access to three repositories after officials said the app hinders lawful interception and investigation.
- On Thursday, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre ordered GitHub to remove Bitchat, the decentralized messaging app developed by Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, within 3 hours citing security risks.
- Demonstrators under the Cockroach Janta Party banner have increasingly adopted Bitchat to coordinate during government-imposed internet shutdowns at protest sites in New Delhi.
- The I4C notice alleges Bitchat's design "significantly impedes lawful interception, attribution and investigation by law enforcement agencies" by enabling anonymous communication without centralized servers or user registration.
- On Friday, Dorsey shared the notice on X, stating, "The Government of India does not like technologies like Bitchat and wants it taken down."
- While GitHub faces the removal order, the app remains accessible via over 2,000 forks on the platform and was previously removed from the China App Store for similar concerns.
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Jack Dorsey Reacts As India Directs GitHub To Take Down Bitchat App Repositories | 📲 LatestLY
India's I4C ordered GitHub to remove three repositories for Bitchat, Jack Dorsey's Bluetooth mesh messaging app, citing security risks and potential misuse during internet shutdowns. Dorsey criticised the move on X, stating the government wants the technology taken down. Scroll below to know more about the order. 📲 Jack Dorsey Reacts As India Directs GitHub To Take Down Bitchat App Repositories.
Government orders GitHub to remove Bluetooth-based chat app Bitchat over security concerns: Jack Dorsey
The notice comes after several users participating in the Jantar Mantar protest were observed using Bluetooth-based messaging apps after the government imposed temporary restrictions on internet services
Jack Dorsey has claimed that the Indian government intends to take action against the Bitchat app and has shared an alleged notice. However, as of this writing, there has been no official confirmation from the government, I4C, or GitHub. At present, the authenticity of the viral notice and the official position regarding the alleged action are unclear.
India orders GitHub to remove Jack Dorsey's Bitchat app over security concerns
The notice, shared by developer Jack Dorsey, said the app hampers lawful interception and investigation and followed the reported use of similar Bluetooth messaging apps during a protest in New Delhi
'Substantial risk of misuse by anti-national elements': Govt directs GitHub to take down Bluetooth-based Bitchat app
India's cybercrime center has asked GitHub to remove the Bitchat application. This app allows anonymous, offline messaging which raises security concerns for the government. Officials believe it could be misused by terrorists and criminal groups for coordination. The notice cites potential violations of the Information Technology Act. This action follows the use of similar apps during recent Delhi protests.
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