Indian authorities demanded the removal of Bitchat's GitHub…
Indian authorities demanded the removal of Bitchat's GitHub repositories due to its use in coordinating anti-government protests in Delhi amid internet outages, citing concerns over encrypted mesh networking hindering law enforcement and enabling disinformation. The app, launched by Jack Dorsey in 2025, operates offline without registration or internet access.
Consensus
- Indian authorities demanded the removal of Bitchat’s GitHub repositories.
- The demand was made on July 23 amid anti-government protests in Delhi.
- Bitchat is a decentralized, offline messaging app that uses Bluetooth Mesh networking.
- The app does not require internet access, registration, phone numbers, or email addresses.
- Protesters used mesh networks to coordinate actions during internet outages.
- Indian authorities claim the app hinders law enforcement by making message interception and user identification difficult.
- The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) issued a three-hour deadline for GitHub to restrict access.
Points of divergence
- Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block and founder of Twitter, shared the document on X and stated that the Indian government dislikes such technologies and wants them shut down. — riamo
- The protests were triggered by the cancellation of medical college entrance exam results due to leak suspicions, organized by the 'Party of Cockroaches', with the education minister resigning the day before. — kommersant
- Russia's Roskomnadzor stated that access to GitHub resources in Russia is not restricted and operates normally. — vesti
Coverage (3 sources)
- India demands removal of Bitchat apps from GitHub due to protests — РИАМО
- Calls to remove Bitchat from GitHub amid protests in India — Вести
- Indian authorities demand removal of Bitchat from GitHub due to protests — Коммерсантъ