In a significant move, Apple has removed the offline messaging application Bitchat from its India App Store, following a directive from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Jack Dorsey, the app’s developer and co-founder of Twitter, shared this development on X, attaching a notice from Apple that confirmed the removal.
Details of the Removal
Dorsey’s post included a screenshot of the official notice, which stated that the app was being taken down due to its inclusion of content deemed illegal in India. The notice emphasized that the app’s removal was in compliance with local laws and Apple’s app review guidelines.
According to the notice, “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 notice further highlighted the responsibility of developers to adhere to local legal requirements in any region where their apps are available.
Legal Framework and Compliance
The takedown was executed under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which allows the government to block access to content that poses a threat to national security or public order. The notice also indicated that the TestFlight version of Bitchat would be unavailable for both external and internal testing in India, rendering all public TestFlight links inactive.
Previous Scrutiny
This is not the first instance of Bitchat facing government scrutiny. Earlier in July, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) had instructed GitHub to remove the Bluetooth-based messaging application. This action coincided with protests by the Cockroach Janta Party over exam paper leaks, during which the app was reportedly used to facilitate communication amidst internet restrictions imposed by the government.
The I4C’s notice at that time expressed concerns that Bitchat could enable communication for anti-national elements, terrorist organizations, and organized crime, thus posing a significant risk during periods of legal restrictions on communication.
