NEW DELHI: Jack Dorsey’s Bluetooth-based messaging app Bitchat has been removed from Indian app stores following government intervention, putting the spotlight on concerns over decentralised communication. Government sources quoted by news agency PTI said on Tuesday that the app posed a law-and-order concern and therefore had to be taken down.The sources told PTI that Bitchat allows users to send messages through multiple Bluetooth “hops” without relying on conventional internet connectivity, raising concerns that it could be used to bypass restrictions imposed by authorities.“The government is duty-bound to maintain law and order,” sources said, adding that the app’s ability to facilitate communication through Bluetooth was a concern.On proposals to restrict minors’ access to social media, government sources said there was no such proposal under consideration. They pointed to Australia’s experience, saying restrictions had not prevented children from accessing social media without accounts.The government is instead consulting industry representatives and experts, including those with expertise in psychology, sources said.“We have to find a better solution…when the right solution comes, we will bring it in front of you,” the sources said, stressing that a solution needed to be found.Apple removed Bitchat from the India App Store following a demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Dorsey said in an X post on Saturday.“Government of India officially removes Bitchat from the App Store,” Dorsey wrote, sharing a screenshot of Apple’s App Review notice.
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The notice said the removal was “per demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)” because the app “includes content that is illegal in India”. It cited Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, under which the takedown demand was issued.Google has also removed the app from the Play Store in India, while Apple said it remained available in other territories selected by the developer. Its TestFlight version would also no longer be available for testing in India.Bitchat had previously faced government action in July. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) had then directed GitHub to restrict access to its repositories, citing concerns that the decentralised network could enable communication during internet restrictions and make lawful detection more difficult.
