India orders takedown of Jack Dorsey’s bitcoin-linked messaging app Bitchat
The Indian government has ordered the takedown of Bitchat, a decentralized, Bluetooth-based messaging app created by Jack Dorsey, citing concerns over its ability to bypass lawful interception. The app has gained popularity among protesters as a way to maintain communication during government-imposed internet shutdowns.
Why it matters
This action highlights the tension between state security requirements and the use of decentralized, censorship-resistant technologies by citizens during civil unrest.
the government of india does not like technologies like bitchat and wants it taken down pic.twitter.com/gjzMg1NGCi
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, part of the Home Ministry, issued the order late Thursday under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, naming three GitHub repositories tied to Bitchat and giving the platform three hours to disable access.
The notice, reviewed by CoinDesk, says the app enables anonymous communication without registration, phone numbers or centralized logging, and that its architecture "significantly impedes lawful interception, attribution, and investigation by law enforcement agencies."
Bitchat is a decentralized messaging app that relays encrypted messages between phones over Bluetooth mesh networks, requiring no internet, servers or accounts. Dorsey released it as open-source software in July 2025.
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