Apple removes Bitchat from India App Store after Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology demand

Apple has officially removed the offline messaging application Bitchat from its India App Store after a demand from the countrys IT ministry Jack Dorsey said in an X post on SaturdayGovernment of India officially removes Bitchat from the App Store the apps developer and Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey wrote in his post alongside a screenshot of what appeared to be a notice from Apples App Review teamgovernment of India officially removes bitchat from the App Store httpstco9oHHiwquecmdash jack jack October 3 2026Bitchat built by Dorsey had come under government scrutiny in July this year as well when the Home Ministrys cybercrime arm the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre had ordered GitHub to remove the Bluetoothbased messaging applicationOn Saturday Dorsey tagged Apples latest notice in his post In the notice Apple said the app would be removed per demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology MeitY and because it includes content that is illegal in IndiaWe are writing to notify you that your application per demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology MeitY will be removed from the India App Store because it includes content that is illegal in India which is not in compliance with the App Review Guidelines the attached notice saidThat particular section the notice said requires apps to follow all legal requirements in any location where they are offered It says developers are responsible for understanding and complying with local laws beyond Apples own guidelinesAccording to the post MeitY issued the takedown demand under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000 The Apple notice said that the developer of the app can contact the ministry directly for more information about the removal or about Indian laws and requirementsThe app remains available in the App Stores of other territories selected in App Store Connect Apple saidThe TestFlight version of this app will also be unavailable for external and internal testing in India and all public TestFlight links will no longer be functional it saidBitchat had previously drawn government action as well and that time too Dorsey had called it out in an X post In July during Cockroach Janta Party protests over exam paper leaks the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre had ordered Microsoft subsidiary GitHub to remove BitchatThe Government of India does not like technologies like Bitchat and wants it taken down Dorsey had said in an X post at that time while tagging a copy of the July 23 noticeIn that notice I4C had said that the app enables communication even during network restrictions and creates a substantial risk of misuse by antinational elements terrorist organisations organised criminal groups and cyber criminals seeking to evade lawful detection and continue communication despite legally imposed restrictionsThe July notice had come after several users participating in a protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party at Jantar Mantar New Delhi were observed using Bluetoothbased messaging apps despite the governmentimposed temporary restrictions on internet services around the protest siteAccording to I4C since communications occur directly between nearby devices through a decentralised mesh network the platform could be misused to evade lawful surveillance facilitate anonymous coordination and circumvent lawful restrictions imposed by competent authorities during situations involving public disorder riots terrorism organised crime or internet shutdownsIntelligence inputs indicate that such decentralised communication platforms are capable of being exploited for coordinating unlawful assemblies violent protests dissemination of misinformation radicalisation criminal conspiracies and other activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India defence of India security of the State public order and for facilitating the commission of cognizable offences the earlier notice had saidIt had added that the absence of a centralised service provider also limits the ability of law enforcement agencies to obtain subscriber information communication records or timely assistance during investigationsThe applications design which enables communication even during network restrictions creates a substantial risk of misuse by antinational elements terrorist organisations organised criminal groups and cybercriminals seeking to evade lawful detection and continue communication despite legally imposed restrictions the notice had said citing violation of Sections 43 84B and 84C of the IT Act and Section 61 read with 196 and 197This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever