The Indian government has asked GitHub to remove or disable repositories hosting Bitchat, a Bluetooth-based messaging application developed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. This comes amid ongoing protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Delhi, and other communication tools are said to be used after mobile internet service was suspended in parts of the capital.
Dorsey also shared screenshots of a notice by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) which works for the Ministry of Home Affairs on X. GitHub was ordered to take action against three repositories involved in Bitchat. The order cited concern that the application could be used to bypass internet shutdowns, evade lawful interception and help coordinate during public order situations.
The notice referred to Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act 2000 and Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. GitHub was ordered to disable access to the identified repositories within three hours. They are the main Bitchat project as well as its Android versions.
Government Raises Law Enforcement Concerns
The government called Bitchat a decentralised peer-to-peer communication platform that can send messages over Bluetooth mesh networks without mobile networks, internet connections or centralised servers.
The architecture of the app, authorities told us, could make lawful interception, attribution and investigation more difficult. The notice also raised concerns that decentralised communication platforms could be misused to coordinate unlawful assemblies, violent protests, misinformation campaigns, radicalisation and other activities that could affect public order and national security.
The government’s action also comes at a time when Delhi has been seeing protests led by the CJP on alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities. Some demonstrators may have used Bluetooth-based communication tools since mobile internet service has been suspended in parts of central Delhi.
But the authorities have not revealed if Bitchat was used in the protests. Delhi police are investigating whether Bluetooth-based messaging apps were used to help communicate with protesters. They are also looking at available digital evidence and other information about the protest, sources said.
How Bitchat Works
Dorsey introduced Bitchat as an open-source messaging application that doesn’t require mobile networks, Wi-Fi, phone numbers, or centralised servers. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology uses the mesh network between devices to send encrypted messages from one smartphone to another.
It means messages can also reach far beyond the immediate reach of one phone by moving across a network of connected phones. Unlike WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, Bitchat does not require users to create a centralised account or connect to the internet.
While such technology is useful in times of internet outages and poor connectivity, its decentralised nature makes it difficult for authorities to trace communications or gain user data.
GitHub had not yet made public its response to the notice at the time of the report. The development is likely to spark a larger debate on digital privacy, internet shutdowns and decentralisation of communication technology and the balance between public safety and freedom of communication.
