Centre asks GitHub to block Bitchat, messaging app that works without internet, amid students protest

Queries sent to the Union Home Ministry remained unanswered till the publication of this news.

According to the order copy shared by Dorsey, the I4C said the application could be used to evade lawful surveillance and coordinate unlawful assemblies during restrictions on internet services.

The July 23 order invoked Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, along with Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology Rules, 2021, and asked GitHub to disable access to three repositories linked to Bitchat within three hours. The URLs include the application’s main source-code repository, its Android repository and a page used to distribute its Android installation file.

Bitchat is an open-source, decentralised messaging application that can allow users located near each other to communicate without mobile data, Wi-Fi, phone numbers or centralised servers. Its offline mode uses Bluetooth Low Energy to connect nearby phones, with each device capable of relaying messages to others and thereby extending the network’s reach.

The application’s GitHub page says messages may pass through as many as seven devices, or “hops”, before reaching their destination. Bitchat also supports internet-based messaging through the decentralised Nostr protocol when connectivity is available. Private messages are end-to-end encrypted, and the application does not require users to create accounts or provide persistent identifiers.

The I4C order described Bitchat as a platform capable of establishing peer-to-peer communications over Bluetooth without depending on conventional telecom infrastructure. It said the architecture “significantly impedes lawful interception, attribution, and investigation by law enforcement agencies”.

“The application’s design, which enables communication even during network restrictions, creates a substantial risk of misuse by anti-national elements, terrorist organisations, organised criminal groups, and cybercriminals seeking to evade lawful detection and continue communication despite legally imposed restrictions,” the order, shared by Dorsey, said.

The agency further cited intelligence inputs indicating that such platforms could be exploited to coordinate violent protests, spread misinformation, facilitate criminal conspiracies and maintain communications during internet shutdowns.

On Thursday, internet services were directed to be suspended within a 1.5-km radius of the protest site, with connectivity also affected around Mandi House, nearly two kilometres away.

It was the sixth such suspension order in a week. The disruptions affected protesters as well as offices, shops and commuters in the area, with businesses reporting that they were unable to accept UPI payments and users struggling to access messaging and app-based services.