- India’s I4C agency sent GitHub a legal order to remove three Bitchat repositories.
- The government said that the app could easily be misused by terrorists and criminal gangs.
- GitHub only has a few hours to comply or risk losing certain legal protection.
Jack Dorsey (CEO of Square and co-founder of former Twitter) posted on X, saying that India’s government ordered GitHub to remove the repositories for Bitchat, an offline messaging application that doesn’t rely on the internet and was developed by Dorsey.
He also attached screenshots of an official government notice showing that the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) agency, which falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs, sent GitHub a legal order to remove three Bitchat repositories.
Dorsey commented on the ordeal, simply saying: “The government of India does not like technologies like Bitchat and wants it taken down.”
According to the notice, the order cites Section 79(3)(b) of India’s Information Technology Act, 2000. The government said that the app could easily be misused by terrorists, criminal gangs, anti-national groups, or anyone trying to dodge legal surveillance.
Reportedly, the agency gave GitHub only a few hours to comply or risk losing certain legal protections that normally protect online platforms in India.
What is Bitchat?
Bitchat is an open-source, encrypted messaging app built by Jack Dorsey. Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, or Signal, it doesn’t need the internet, data plans, Wi-Fi, SIM cards, phone numbers, or central servers to work.
Instead, it runs on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh technology, meaning messages hop between nearby devices, spreading through a local network without ever touching the internet. It also includes encrypted messaging and was designed specifically to avoid being blocked or shut down.
Due to its nature, the Indian government argues that criminals could use it to communicate without being tracked by standard monitoring techniques. Officials maintain that the national security risks are bigger than any privacy benefits the app might offer.
Related: India Proposes First Property Tokenization Law With DELTA Act
Statement from the Internet Freedom Foundation
After Jack Dorsey’s post, India’s Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) (a non-profit organization that defends digital rights, online privacy, and free expression) pushed back with a detailed statement, criticizing the government’s order to take Bitchat down from GitHub.
The organization said that the order doesn’t provide much detail beyond broad national security concerns, doesn’t clearly explain how Bitchat breaks any law, sets a ridiculously short deadline, and could pave the way for restricting open-source code without proper transparency down the line.
The IFF also pointed out that these repositories hold open-source code, meaning the order doesn’t just affect people using the app, but it also hits developers, researchers, and anyone else contributing to the project.
Additionally, the organization called the order illegal on at least four grounds, demanding withdrawal of the GitHub notice.
Related: Binance Outlines Three Key Priorities for India’s Growing Crypto Market
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not constitute financial advice or advice of any kind. Coin Edition is not responsible for any losses incurred as a result of the utilization of content, products, or services mentioned. Readers are advised to exercise caution before taking any action related to the company.
