Bitchat, the decentralised messaging app created by Jack Dorsey, has been removed from Apple and Google’s app stores in India, following government orders. The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued the directive under Section 69A of the IT Act, citing concerns over the app’s ability to operate without internet access. While Bitchat remains available outside India, its offline messaging capabilities have sparked fears among digital rights advocates about the limitations placed on communication tools.

The app’s removal comes amid a wave of protests in India, where users have turned to Bitchat and a rival app, Briar, to evade internet shutdowns. In July 2026, Dorsey faced similar restrictions, with the Indian government ordering GitHub to remove repositories linked to Bitchat. This latest move has drawn criticism from the Internet Freedom Foundation, which argues that the app’s functionality does not justify government intervention.

Interest in Bitchat surged in India, with the app accounting for approximately 85% of global downloads in the week following the internet shutdowns. Despite these challenges, Bitchat’s core functionality remains intact, raising questions about the balance between state control and individual privacy in the digital age.