Apple has removed the offline messaging application, BitChat, from its India App Store following a demand from the country’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Jack Dorsey said in an X post.
“Government of India officially removes BitChat from the App Store,” the app’s developer and Twitter (now X) Co-Founder, Jack Dorsey, wrote in his post, alongside a screenshot of what appeared to be a notice from Apple’s App Review team.
government of India officially removes bitchat from the App Store https://t.co/9oHHiwquec
— jack (@jack) October 3, 2026
BitChat, built by Dorsey, had come under government scrutiny in July 2026 as well, when the Home Ministry’s cybercrime arm, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, had ordered GitHub to remove the Bluetooth-based messaging application.
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Dorsey tagged Apple’s 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 India”.
“We 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 said.
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The relevant section of Apple’s guidelines requires applications to comply with all legal requirements in the locations where they are offered. Developers are responsible for understanding and complying with local laws in addition to Apple’s own guidelines.
According to the notice shared by Dorsey, MeitY issued the takedown demand under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Apple said the developer could contact the ministry directly for more information about the removal or Indian laws and requirements.
The app remains available in the App Stores of other territories selected by the developer in App Store Connect, Apple said.
“The 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 said.
BitChat had previously drawn government action in July 2026 when the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre ordered Microsoft subsidiary, GitHub, to remove the application during protests by the Cockroach Janta Party over alleged exam paper leaks.
“The Government of India does not like technologies like BitChat and wants it taken down,” Dorsey had said in an X post at the time while tagging a copy of the July 23 notice.
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In that notice, I4C said BitChat enables communication even during network restrictions and creates a substantial risk of misuse by anti-national elements, terrorist organisations, organised criminal groups, and cybercriminals seeking to evade lawful detection and continue communication despite legally imposed restrictions.
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The July 2026 notice followed the use of Bluetooth-based messaging applications by several protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi despite temporary government-imposed restrictions on internet services around the protest site.
According to I4C, because communications occur directly between nearby devices through a decentralised mesh network, BitChat could be used to evade lawful surveillance, facilitate anonymous coordination, and circumvent restrictions imposed by authorities during situations involving public disorder, riots, terrorism, organised crime, or internet shutdowns.
“Intelligence 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 said.
The notice also said the absence of a centralised service provider limits law enforcement agencies’ ability to obtain subscriber information, communication records, or timely assistance during investigations.
The application’s design, which enables communication even during network restrictions, creates a substantial risk of misuse by anti-national elements, terrorist organisations, organised criminal groups, and cybercriminals seeking to evade lawful detection and continue communication despite legally imposed restrictions, the notice said, citing violations of Sections 43, 84B and 84C of the IT Act and Section 61 read with 196 and 197.
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