In a significant move, India’s premier cybercrime authority has mandated GitHub to remove Bitchat, an offline messaging application developed by Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Block and a prominent advocate for bitcoin. This directive comes as anti-government demonstrators in Delhi increasingly turn to mesh-networking technologies to maintain communication amidst frequent internet outages.
Government Action on Bitchat
Late Thursday, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, operating under the Home Ministry, issued an order under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. The notice specifically targets three GitHub repositories associated with Bitchat, demanding that the platform disable access within a tight three-hour window. According to the notice, which has been reviewed by CoinDesk, the application facilitates anonymous communication without the need for registration, phone numbers, or centralized logging. This architecture, the notice claims, poses significant challenges for law enforcement agencies in terms of lawful interception, attribution, and investigation.
Bitchat distinguishes itself as a decentralized messaging tool that transmits encrypted messages between devices via Bluetooth mesh networks, eliminating the need for internet connectivity, servers, or user accounts. Dorsey made the app available as open-source software in July 2025, positioning it as a robust alternative for secure communication.
Furthermore, Bitchat is designed to facilitate offline bitcoin transactions, allowing messages to be relayed from one phone to another through the mesh network. This innovative design ensures that transactions can continue even during blackouts, natural disasters, or government-imposed internet shutdowns, thereby enhancing the resilience of digital payments in challenging circumstances.
