India Orders GitHub to Remove Jack Dorsey’s BitChat Amid Protests
India's cyber agency ordered GitHub to disable Jack Dorsey’s BitChat repositories on July 23, 2026.
Why it matters: This crackdown highlights growing tensions between digital rights and government security measures, vital for legal tech pros tracking global compliance and free speech implications.
- Directive issued by India's Cyber Crime Coordination Centre to GitHub on July 23, 2026, demanding takedown within 3 hours.
- BitChat enables encrypted, decentralized communication over Bluetooth without internet, raising interception concerns.
- Government cited risks of misuse by anti-national and criminal groups, linking action to ongoing Cockroach Janta Party protests.
- Internet Freedom Foundation condemned the order as unconstitutional and an abuse of intermediary liability provisions.
On July 23, 2026, India’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) issued a directive for GitHub to disable access to three repositories powering Jack Dorsey’s BitChat within three hours. BitChat is an open-source messaging app that allows encrypted, registration-free communication via Bluetooth mesh networks, functioning without internet or central servers.
The government invoked Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021 to justify the order. Officials expressed concern that BitChat’s decentralized, anonymous features could obstruct lawful interception, potentially facilitating misuse by anti-national elements, terrorists, and organized crime.
This move came amid the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in New Delhi, where protesters used BitChat to communicate during internet shutdowns imposed by authorities. Jack Dorsey reacted publicly on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "The Government of India does not like technologies like BitChat and wants it taken down."
Digital rights advocates, including the Internet Freedom Foundation, denounced the takedown as unconstitutional and authoritarian. The IFF argued that the government bypassed procedural safeguards and misused intermediary liability provisions instead of following the statutory website-blocking process.
Earlier in 2026, BitChat faced similar regulatory challenges when Apple removed it from the Chinese App Store under pressure from China’s Cyberspace Administration, citing concerns over decentralized communication capabilities.
By the numbers:
- July 23, 2026 — Date Indian authorities issued takedown directive to GitHub
- 3 hours — Time given to GitHub to disable BitChat repositories
- April 6, 2026 — Date BitChat was removed from Apple’s Chinese App Store
Yes, but: Details remain unclear on whether GitHub complied within the timeframe or if legal challenges have been filed against the takedown order.
What's next: Watch for possible legal appeals from Jack Dorsey or digital rights groups challenging the constitutionality of the takedown.