India orders GitHub to block Bitchat
Analysis based on 51 articles · First reported Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026
The order may increase regulatory scrutiny on decentralized communication technologies, potentially affecting investor sentiment toward related startups. Microsoft — GitHub's compliance could set a precedent for platform liability in India, impacting Microsoft's operations.
The Indian government, through the India — Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has ordered Microsoft subsidiary Microsoft — GitHub to remove repositories hosting Bitchat, a Bluetooth-based decentralized messaging app developed by Jack Dorsey. The order, issued under the IT Act and IT Rules 2021, cites concerns that the app's architecture enables anonymous communication without internet or central servers, posing a risk of misuse by anti-national elements, terrorist organizations, and criminal groups to evade lawful surveillance. The action comes amid ongoing protests by the India — Rashtriya Janata Dal in Delhi, where internet restrictions were imposed. Jack Dorsey criticized the move on X, and the Internet Freedom Foundation condemned it as unconstitutional.
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