The Indian government has directed GitHub to remove Jack Dorsey‘s Bitchat repositories amid the ongoing student protests in Delhi.
On Friday, Dorsey said on X that the Narendra Modi-led government has directed Microsoft Corp.‘s (NASDAQ:MSFT) GitHub to remove repositories hosting the Bluetooth messaging app Bitchat.
Citing the Information Technology Act and Intermediary Rules, authorities said the move comes amid student protests in Delhi, where demonstrators are reportedly using Bluetooth-based messaging to communicate during mobile internet shutdowns, bypass conventional surveillance, and coordinate activities during public-order situations.
“the government of india does not like technologies like bitchat and wants it taken down,” wrote the Twitter (Now X) co-founder and Block Inc. (NYSE:XYZ) CEO.
The notice suggests the government is concerned that Bitchat’s decentralized, offline messaging could hinder law enforcement investigations and enable users to bypass internet shutdowns during public-order situations.
Delhi Police are reportedly investigating whether Bluetooth-based messaging apps were used during the student protests after mobile internet was suspended, though they have not confirmed Bitchat’s involvement. Investigators are examining multiple leads, including app-related information where available, CCTV footage, and other digital evidence.
Notably, students are protesting in Delhi to demand a complete overhaul of India’s public examination system and accountability for high-profile exam paper leaks, particularly the medical entrance test, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), which has triggered mass youth distress.
The Recent Telegram Ban in India
Dorsey’s post comes weeks after Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized India’s temporary ban on Telegram, alleging misuse of internet routing systems by Reliance Industries and possible competitive pressure from Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META).
He argued the restriction unfairly impacted millions of users while failing to stop NEET exam paper leak networks, though authorities said the measure was needed to curb organized cheating.
Bitchat’s Rise And Roadblocks
In July 2025, Jack Dorsey launched the beta version of Bitchat, a decentralized messaging app that operates entirely over Bluetooth without requiring internet connectivity. Inspired by early Internet Relay Chat (IRC), the app uses Bluetooth mesh networking, message relays, store-and-forward functionality, and encryption for peer-to-peer communication.
According to its white paper, Bitchat is a decentralized messaging app that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks for ephemeral, device-only messaging. It works within a roughly 30-meter Bluetooth range and uses bridge nodes to connect separate user clusters.
In the same month, Bitchat entered Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) App Store Top 200 free apps, ranking No. 186 in the Business category. However, in April this year, Apple delisted the Bitchat messaging service from China’s App Store after the Cyberspace Administration of China alleged it contained "illegal" content.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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