India’s Cybercrime Coordination Center has requested GitHub to restrict access to the repositories of Jack Dorsey’s decentralized messenger, Bitchat, according to CoinDesk.
The notification was sent on July 23. Authorities noted that the app allows anonymous communication without registration, phone numbers, or centralized logging. The order stated that such architecture complicates lawful interception, attribution, and investigations for law enforcement agencies.
Business Today reported that the document references Section 79(3)(b) of India’s Information Technology Act and Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules 2021.
The project description on GitHub states that Bitchat uses two transport systems:
- a local Bluetooth mesh network for offline communication;
- the Nostr protocol for internet communication.
The white paper describes the app as a secure messaging tool that works both online and offline.
CoinDesk linked the demand to GitHub with protests in Delhi over exam material leaks. The first major demonstrations at Jantar Mantar took place in June, and on July 20, there was a clash between participants and police.
Local media reported that amid temporary mobile internet restrictions, some protest participants used Bluetooth applications for communication. Internet restrictions in central Delhi were also confirmed by Al Jazeera and Reuters.
In response to the order, Dorsey stated that the Indian authorities “do not like technologies like Bitchat and want it taken down.”
the government of india does not like technologies like bitchat and wants it taken down pic.twitter.com/gjzMg1NGCi
— jack (@jack) July 24, 2026
At the time of writing, the Bitchat repository was accessible.
According to GitHub’s policy on government takedown requests, the platform may restrict access to content deemed illegal in a specific jurisdiction. In such cases, the company aims to narrow the scope, for example, by applying geoblocking only in the specific country.
This is not the first instance of pressure on Bitchat. In April, Apple removed the app from the Chinese App Store following an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China.
In July 2025, Dorsey introduced a beta version of the decentralized peer-to-peer messenger. In September, Bitchat facilitated communication during protests in Indonesia and Nepal.
A month later, the app ranked first in the social networking category of the App Store in Jamaica. It helped maintain communication after power outages caused by a hurricane.
In early 2026, Iranian authorities restricted internet access amid ongoing mass unrest. In response, the community urged residents to use the encrypted messenger.
