Indian Government Orders GitHub to Remove Bluetooth Chat App Bitchat Over Security Concerns
The Indian Home Ministry's cybercrime arm, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), has ordered Microsoft subsidiary GitHub to remove the Bluetooth-based messaging application Bitchat. The app's developer, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, shared the notice on X on July 24, 2026. The notice follows observations that protesters at Jantar Mantar, organized by the Cockroach Janata Party, used Bluetooth-based messaging apps after the government imposed temporary internet restrictions. I4C stated that Bitchat enables communication during network restrictions, allows anonymous communication without registration or phone verification, and uses a decentralized peer-to-peer mesh network that impedes lawful interception and investigation. The government argues the app poses a substantial risk of misuse by anti-national elements, terrorist organizations, and cybercriminals to evade detection and coordinate unlawful activities, including violent protests and dissemination of misinformation.
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