Technology and Science · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Jack Dorsey Says MeitY Demand Led Apple To Remove Bitchat From India App Store
MeitY ordered Apple to remove Bitchat from India App Store under Section 69A. Dorsey said the removal followed a government order; Apple cited MeitY.
15 outlets told this the same way.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: india accounted for about 85% of downloads during July 17-23.
15outlets compared
Bitchat pulled from India
Jack Dorsey said Apple removed the offline messaging application Bitchat from the India App Store after a demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and he posted the claim on X on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Apple’s App Review notice, as shared by Dorsey, said the app would be removed “per demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)” because it “includes content that is illegal in India”.
Apple told Dorsey that the TestFlight version of Bitchat would also be unavailable for external and internal testing in India, and that all public TestFlight links would no longer be functional. The app remained available in App Stores of other territories selected in App Store Connect, Apple said in the same notice.
Section 69A cited
Apple’s notice, as described by multiple outlets, said MeitY issued the takedown demand under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The notice also said the developer could contact MeitY directly for more information about the removal or about Indian laws and requirements, and Apple advised that apps must comply with legal requirements in any location where they are offered.
TechCrunch reported that Bitchat had disappeared from Apple and Google’s app stores in India, and it said Bitchat’s website was inaccessible across various internet service providers in the country when it checked on Saturday. TechCrunch also said it was not immediately clear whether Google and internet service providers had received directions from the federal government, even as Apple’s removal was tied to the MeitY demand.
Earlier GitHub action
Dorsey said Bitchat had already faced government scrutiny in July, when the Home Ministry’s cybercrime arm, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, ordered GitHub to remove the Bluetooth-based messaging application. The July action, as described in the reporting, directed GitHub to remove Bitchat repositories and cited concerns that the app could be misused to evade lawful surveillance and continue communication despite legally imposed restrictions.
The Hindu said the July notice argued that decentralised communications could be exploited for coordinating unlawful assemblies, violent protests, dissemination of misinformation, radicalisation, criminal conspiracies, and other activities prejudicial to India’s sovereignty and integrity. TechCrunch added that the July order relied on a provision dealing with intermediaries and their liability for third-party content, which it said differed from Section 69A cited in Apple’s latest notice.