India has now pulled BitChat from its App Store through Apple.
BitChat works over Bluetooth with no internet, no phone number and no account. That is exactly why Delhi wants it gone. In July the government shut down the network around Jantar Mantar, and protesters used BitChat to keep talking.
The government has now gone after the network, then the code on GitHub, and now the app store. Each step has been aimed at the same target, which is leaving people with no way to communicate when the internet is cut off.
Apple's notice says the app "includes content that is illegal in India" and never names any content. Apple simply complied.
https://reclaimthenet.org/apple-removes-bitchat-india-government-request
reclaimthenet / Reclaim The Net
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2026-10-03 13:47:00 UTC
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2026-10-03 13:47:00 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "India has now pulled BitChat from its App Store through Apple.\n\nBitChat works over Bluetooth with no internet, no phone number and no account. That is exactly why Delhi wants it gone. In July the government shut down the network around Jantar Mantar, and protesters used BitChat to keep talking.\n\nThe government has now gone after the network, then the code on GitHub, and now the app store. Each step has been aimed at the same target, which is leaving people with no way to communicate when the internet is cut off.\n\nApple's notice says the app \"includes content that is illegal in India\" and never names any content. Apple simply complied.\n\nhttps://reclaimthenet.org/apple-removes-bitchat-india-government-request",
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