Government Asks GitHub to Block Jack Dorsey's Bitchat App Over Security Concerns Amid CJP Protests

The Indian government has directed GitHub to remove repositories hosting Bitchat, the decentralised messaging app developed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, citing concerns that it could be exploited by terrorists, organised crime groups and anti-national elements amid the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests being held at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

According to a notice shared publicly by Dorsey, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has instructed Microsoft's GitHub to disable access to three repositories related to Bitchat, including its Android version and source code.

The order reportedly invokes Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, along with Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. GitHub was directed to remove the repositories within three hours of receiving the notice.

Government Flags Security Risks

In the notice, authorities describe Bitchat as a decentralised peer-to-peer communication platform that uses Bluetooth mesh networking instead of mobile networks, Wi-Fi or centralised servers.

The government argues that this architecture makes lawful interception and criminal investigations significantly more difficult. It further claims that such platforms could be misused to coordinate unlawful assemblies, spread misinformation, facilitate criminal conspiracies and support activities that threaten public order or national security.

The notice reportedly states that the technology poses a "substantial risk of misuse" by anti-national elements, terrorist organisations, organised crime groups and cybercriminals seeking to evade legally imposed communication restrictions.

Jack Dorsey Shares Takedown Notice

Dorsey posted screenshots of the notice on X, writing that “the government of India does not like technologies like Bitchat and wants it taken down.”

GitHub had not publicly commented on the request at the time of writing.

Why Bitchat Is Under Scrutiny

The move comes amid ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in Delhi, during which authorities suspended mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi.

Reports indicate that investigators are examining whether protesters used Bluetooth-based messaging applications to remain connected despite internet restrictions. While authorities have not confirmed that Bitchat itself was used, they are investigating multiple offline messaging platforms as part of the probe.

Unlike conventional messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, Bitchat does not require mobile data, Wi-Fi, phone numbers or central servers. Instead, it relies on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to create a mesh network, allowing messages to hop between nearby devices until they reach their destination.

This design makes the app useful during internet outages or in areas with poor connectivity, but it also reduces the availability of server-side records that investigators typically rely on during criminal probes.

The reported takedown request marks one of the first instances of Indian authorities seeking to restrict access to an open-source Bluetooth mesh messaging platform over concerns related to public order and national security.