India Cracks Down on Jack Dorsey’s Decentralized Bitchat
India has ordered GitHub to remove repositories linked to Bitchat, the decentralized messaging application created by Jack Dorsey, escalating its scrutiny of technologies that allow users to communicate without internet access or centralized infrastructure.
Summary:
- Indian authorities ordered GitHub to disable access to Bitchat’s source code, citing national security and law enforcement concerns.
- The move follows internet shutdowns during protests, where users reportedly turned to Bluetooth mesh messaging.
- Digital rights groups argue the order stretches India’s intermediary rules and threatens open-source software development.
Government Cites Public Safety and Law Enforcement
The directive, shared by The Indian Express, was issued on July 23 by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. GitHub was instructed to disable access to three Bitchat repositories – including the project’s primary source code, Android build and release files – within three hours.
The notice was issued under Section 79(3)(b) of India’s Information Technology Act and Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology Rules, 2021.
According to the government, Bitchat’s serverless architecture enables encrypted device-to-device communication over Bluetooth Low
Energy (BLE) without requiring internet connectivity, phone numbers or SIM cards. Authorities argued that those features make lawful interception, user attribution and criminal investigations significantly more difficult, particularly during public safety incidents.
Crackdown Coincides With Internet Restrictions
The order came amid ongoing student-led demonstrations in New Delhi, where authorities repeatedly suspended mobile internet services around protest sites.
During the disruptions, protesters reportedly relied on Bluetooth mesh applications such as Bitchat to remain connected despite network shutdowns.
The government said decentralized messaging tools could be used to coordinate unlawful gatherings or distribute misinformation while conventional communication networks are unavailable.
Jack Dorsey published the takedown notice on X, writing that the Indian government wanted Bitchat removed from GitHub because it does not support technologies like the application.
the government of india does not like technologies like bitchat and wants it taken down pic.twitter.com/gjzMg1NGCi
— jack (@jack) July 24, 2026
Rights Groups Challenge the Order
The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) described the directive as unconstitutional, arguing that it attempts to remove open-source software without following the legal safeguards that normally apply to content-blocking orders.
According to the organization, the notice:
- Targets source code rather than specific unlawful content.
- Relies on intermediary liability provisions instead of India’s dedicated blocking framework.
- Imposes a three-hour compliance deadline, limiting the opportunity for legal review.
- Does not prevent the application from functioning on devices where it is already installed.
IFF also argued that removing repositories from GitHub does not eliminate a decentralized project because copies of the source code can continue circulating through forks, mirrors and other open-source distribution channels.
Part of a Broader Debate Over Decentralized Technology
Unlike conventional messaging applications, Bitchat does not rely on centralized servers, making it more resilient during internet outages but also more difficult for authorities to monitor or restrict.
The GitHub directive marks the second major regulatory challenge for the project this year after Apple removed Bitchat from its App Store in China. India’s order goes further by targeting the application’s publicly available source code, extending enforcement beyond app distribution to the underlying software itself.
Whether GitHub ultimately complies with the directive or the order faces legal challenges could influence how governments approach open-source decentralized technologies as they become increasingly capable of operating outside conventional internet infrastructure.
The information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or trading advice. Coinspress.com does not promote or advocate for any particular investment strategy, asset, or cryptocurrency project. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile and unpredictable – always perform your own research and seek guidance from a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coinspress and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
