After the internet shutdown during the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protest at Delhi’s Jantar-Mantar in July, a large number of GenZ members used the Bitchat app to connect with each other, as it does not require internet access. Bitchat app has now been removed from app stores in India. Sharing this information, Bitchat co-founder Jack Dorsey implicated the Indian government in the matter. Interestingly, CJP’s protests are currently going on in Mumbai. A new wave of protests has started at Delhi’s Jantar-Mantar.
Bitchat co-founder Jack Dorsey shared an official Apple App review letter on social media platform X. It is said. We are writing to inform you that your application is being removed from the Indian App Store at the request of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). This is because it contains content that is illegal in India and does not comply with our app review guidelines.
The letter also provides information about legal regulations. Accordingly,
App companies are required to comply with all legal regulations in the countries where they make their apps available. The letter states that these rules are strict, but it is your responsibility to ensure that the app complies with all local laws. Any app that promotes criminal or reckless behavior will be removed. The letter states that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued this order under Section 69(A) of the Indian Information Technology Act, 2000. The letter states that the app has been removed from the India App Store, but will remain available on app stores in the countries you select. The trial version of the app will no longer work in India either.
Jack Dorsey named the Government of India
Sharing Apple’s letter, Jack Dorsey named the Indian government, saying that the government has removed BitChat from the App Store. The app was on the government’s radar since July. The Government of India instructed GitHub to immediately remove BitChat App’s repositories, i.e., the source code and all related files, from its website. The protesters were using this Bluetooth-based messaging app to stay connected during the protest after mobile internet services were shut down.
How does BitChat work?
BitChat is a communication platform that facilitates decentralized peer-to-peer messaging over a Bluetooth mesh network, without relying on mobile networks, internet connectivity or centralized servers. Simply put, this app allows people within a certain radius to send messages to each other via Bluetooth without the need for internet access.