{"id":7790,"date":"2026-07-24T12:21:28","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T12:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nile1.com\/en\/?p=7790"},"modified":"2026-07-24T12:21:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T12:21:35","slug":"india-demands-github-takedown-of-jack-dorseys-offline-messaging-tool-bitchat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nile1.com\/en\/2026\/07\/24\/india-demands-github-takedown-of-jack-dorseys-offline-messaging-tool-bitchat\/","title":{"rendered":"India Demands GitHub Takedown of Jack Dorsey\u2019s Offline Messaging Tool Bitchat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Indian cybercrime authorities have issued a swift takedown demand to Microsoft<\/a>-owned software hosting platform GitHub, ordering the immediate removal of source code repositories for Bitchat, a peer-to-peer messaging application backed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The emergency directive, issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs\u2019 Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), gave GitHub a three-hour window to disable public access to three repositories under the “permissionlesstech” account, including the primary source code, Android build scripts, and official distribution binaries.<\/p>\n

Unlike traditional communication platforms that rely on central cloud infrastructure, domain names, or phone-number registration, Bitchat establishes local mesh networks by routing encrypted packets directly between nearby smartphones via short-range radio signals. This peer-to-peer architecture allows users to exchange messages entirely offline without relying on telecommunications towers or internet service providers.<\/p>\n

In its notice, the I4C argued that Bitchat’s decentralized design creates an unmonitored channel that significantly hampers lawful interception, digital attribution, and criminal investigations. The regulatory body warned that the software could be exploited to coordinate civil unrest, terrorism, or organized crime, particularly during state-mandated internet shutdowns.<\/p>\n

The regulatory action coincides with widespread youth demonstrations across New Delhi, where tens of thousands of students aligned with the satirically named Cockroach Janta Party have taken to the streets to protest alleged national examination paper leaks. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised fast-track judicial procedures to penalize official misconduct, law enforcement deployed localized mobile internet blockades around key protest areas including Parliament and the historic Jantar Mantar site. In response to the connectivity blackouts, demonstrators increasingly turned to offline mesh tools like Bitchat to coordinate logistically on the ground.<\/p>\n

To justify the enforcement action, the I4C invoked safe-harbor removal provisions under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, alongside Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology Rules, 2021, and supplementary provisions from the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, India’s recently enacted criminal code.<\/p>\n

Digital civil liberties organization Internet Freedom Foundation<\/a> sharply criticized the government’s order, calling the directive unconstitutional and authoritarian. The group noted that the order targeted underlying software infrastructure rather than specific unlawful speech while ignoring standard administrative review procedures.<\/p>\n

Dorsey publicly shared the order, noting that government authorities consistently oppose technologies that operate beyond state control. The Bitchat development community similarly observed that states regularly attempt to neutralize communication tools that enable unauthorized public discourse.<\/p>\n

Efforts to censor decentralized software often face structural hurdles compared to traditional web services. While China mandated Bitchat’s removal from Apple’s domestic App Store in April\u2014following a similar ban on Dorsey’s Nostr protocol client Damus in 2023\u2014removing repository code rarely stops distribution. Within hours of the Indian government notice, developers mirrored the Bitchat repositories onto GitLawb, an alternative decentralized code hosting platform. The move comes as Dorsey’s payments firm Block<\/a> recently unveiled Buzz, a project engineered to mitigate developer reliance on centralized code hosts like GitHub. Neither Microsoft nor GitHub has publicly confirmed compliance with the initial three-hour order.<\/p>\n

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