India’s cybercrime authorities have ordered the removal of Jack Dorsey’s messaging app Bitchat from GitHub, marking a new step in government efforts to curb unauthorized communication tools. The app, which allows encrypted messaging and Bitcoin transactions over Bluetooth mesh networks without internet access, has attracted attention for its use during recent protests.
Government Action Amid Protest Communications
The Cybercrime Coordination Centre under India’s Ministry of Home Affairs demanded the deletion of three Bitchat repositories on GitHub, citing concerns over the app’s absence of registration and centralized logs. These factors, the authorities argue, complicate legal surveillance and hinder investigations. Protesters in Delhi, rallying over a national exam scandal, have increasingly relied on mesh network apps like Bitchat to bypass government internet shutdowns and maintain communication.
Bitchat offers a unique way to send encrypted messages and Bitcoin payments offline. Using Bluetooth connections between phones, it creates a decentralized mesh network that requires no servers or internet. Bitcoin transactions hop between devices until reaching a connected node that broadcasts them to the blockchain. This design aims to keep payments flowing even amid government-imposed network disruptions.
It remains unclear if GitHub complied with the removal order promptly. The app continues to be available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store, and given its open-source nature, the code likely persists across mirrored platforms. Such resilience complicates authorities’ efforts to fully eliminate this technology.
