The government says Bitchat’s Bluetooth mesh architecture enables offline communication, complicating interception and user identification efforts
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The Centre has directed GitHub to disable access to repositories hosting Bitchat, the decentralised Bluetooth mesh-based messaging platform created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, citing concerns that the application could be used to bypass internet shutdowns, evade lawful interception and facilitate unlawful activities during the ongoing protests in Delhi.A notice issued by the Indian Cyber Crime Co-ordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 23 and shared by Dorsey on X invokes Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, 2021, directing GitHub to remove or disable access to the three Bitchat repositories within three hours.Security ConcernsThe government has argued that Bitchat’s peer-to-peer Bluetooth mesh architecture enables users to communicate without mobile networks, internet connectivity or central servers, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to intercept communications or identify the users.The notice states that such platforms could be misused to co-ordinate unlawful assemblies, violent protests, spread misinformation, aid radicalisation and facilitate criminal conspiracies, particularly during internet shutdowns.The move comes days after authorities suspended mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi during the Cockroach Janata Party protests, where decentralised messaging applications were reportedly being used by demonstrators after conventional internet services were cut off.Rights debateThe action is also likely to rekindle the debate over the balance between national security and digital rights. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) has criticised the recent internet shutdown in central Delhi, noting that no suspension order had been made public despite Supreme Court directions requiring such orders to be published.The organisation argued in a statement that unpublished shutdown orders undermine transparency and judicial review and sought disclosure of the legal authority, geographical scope, and duration of the restrictions. It has also questioned reports of network jammers being deployed, stating that the government should clarify the legal basis if such equipment is used.Published on July 24, 2026
