India Orders GitHub to Remove Jack Dorsey's Bitchat App Amid Delhi Protests

The Order

India's Ministry of Home Affairs issued a directive at 11:16 pm on July 23, 2026, ordering GitHub to disable access to three Bitchat code repositories. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) gave GitHub three hours to comply, citing Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act and Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules 2021.

The order states that Bitchat "significantly impedes lawful interception, attribution, and investigation" and could be exploited for coordinating unlawful assemblies, violent protests, and criminal conspiracies.

Why Bitchat Draws Scrutiny

Launched in July 2025, Bitchat uses Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking to enable peer-to-peer messaging without internet connectivity, mobile networks, phone numbers, or centralized servers. Encrypted messages hop between nearby devices, operating outside traditional telecom infrastructure that authorities can monitor or shut down.

The timing proved critical. India accounted for approximately 85% of Bitchat's global downloads between July 17-23, 2026, with over 91,000 downloads in the past five days and daily active users reaching 330,000, according to Sensor Tower data. The surge coincided with weeks of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) student protests in New Delhi over alleged exam paper leaks, during which authorities imposed mobile data restrictions in central Delhi.

Local media reported that some protesters downloaded offline messaging apps including Bitchat and Briar after internet services were suspended around Jantar Mantar, where demonstrators gathered.

Legal Questions Emerge

Digital rights groups and legal experts have questioned whether existing Indian law authorizes blocking open-source software based on how it functions rather than specific unlawful content. The notice does not identify particular posts, messages, or repositories containing illegal material, but instead argues the app's architecture itself facilitates unlawful activity.

The Internet Freedom Foundation condemned the order as "unconstitutional and authoritarian," noting that deleting repositories does not remove the app from phones already carrying it, and the mesh network keeps functioning without servers. "What the takedown actually prevents is scrutiny of the underlying code," the organization stated.

Raman Chima, global program director at the Association for Progressive Communications, told TechCrunch: "They're not just targeting the designated service provider, but they're trying to say that open source development of this type of product… should not occur."

GitHub's Position

GitHub did not confirm whether it had received the document. Multiple sources reported the repositories remained accessible from India on Friday, July 24, though Indian outlet MediaNama stated GitHub had complied and removed the links. GitHub's stated policy is to notify affected account owners and publish takedown requests it acts upon in its gov-takedowns repository; as of reporting time, no Bitchat-related notice had appeared there.

Rose Coogan, GitHub's principal online safety counsel, said: "When we receive a complete government takedown request, we notify the affected account owners and give them an opportunity to appeal. We share every government takedown request we take action on publicly."

Broader Implications

Namrata Maheshwari, senior policy counsel at Access Now, warned that blocking offline messaging platforms during internet restrictions risks turning shutdowns into "a communication blackout" that violates fundamental rights to private communication and peaceful coordination.

The case highlights mounting tensions between government surveillance capabilities and decentralized technologies designed to function outside traditional network infrastructure. Some legal experts suggest the order may represent a shift in how Indian authorities approach content removal, moving beyond Section 69A of the IT Act and the 2009 Blocking Rules typically used for nationwide takedowns before 2021.

Dorsey responded to the order on X, stating the Government of India does not like technologies like Bitchat and wants it taken down. The app's open-source nature means code already downloaded can continue circulating regardless of repository status, raising questions about the practical effectiveness of the takedown order.