What is GitHub, the platform hosting controversial Bulli Bai and Sulli Deals apps?

Months after outrage over the shocking 'auction' of Muslim women online via 'Sulli Deals' on GitHub, a similar page named 'Bulli Bai' circulated images and profiles of women asking people to join the 'auction.' Both Sulli Deals and Bulli Bai were created on open-source platform GitHub.

IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed last Saturday that GitHub has blocked the user behind the 'Bulli Bai' app and "further action" was being coordinated. Unlike Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, GitHub is not a social media platform, but rather a software repository for developers and coders to store codes of their software online.

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a web platform where software developers can upload, store and manage their source codes using 'Git'. Git tracks changes made to software using version control, thus allowing programmers to coordinate efficiently. Launched in October 2007 byTom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, PJ Hyett, and Scott Chacon, GitHub was acquired by Microsoft for $7.5 billion in 2018. 

The website allows developers to duplicate and isolate parts of the code to improve or fix them before merging it back with the source code. GitHub is widely used to host open-source projects where multiple programmers, even those who are not associated with the original project can help in improving the software.

GitHub claims to host more than 200 million such repositories of code that are used by over 73 million developers. The source code of the Aarogya Setu app, the Central government's COVID-19 tracking and tracing app, was reportedly uploaded on GitHub after questions were raised as to what data it collects from users.

Who can be on GitHub? Can you be anonymous there?

While GitHub is primarily used by developers, coders, and software engineers, any layman can open a free account on GitHub. It is easy to be anonymous there as users are required to only provide an email ID to create an account. Users can choose to remain anonymous even after getting verified on the site.

GitHub does not share location-tracking data such as IP address logs and private user content to law enforcement agencies without a valid search warrant.

GitHub's role in 'Sulli Deals' & 'Bulli Bai' app case

After the Sulli Deals app went live in July 2020 sparking outrage for targeting Muslim women, GitHub took down the application. The same was the case with Bulli Bai, where photos of nearly 90 women belonging to the Muslim community including prominent journalists, activists, and artists had been shared, putting them up 'for the auction'. Both 'Sulli' and 'Bulli' are derogatory terms for Muslim women.

The Delhi police wrote to GitHub on Sunday, seeking the IP address of the web page. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police, on Monday, detained a 21-year-old software from Bengaluru in connection with the 'Bulli Bai' case. 

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