Indian cybercrime authorities have demanded that GitHub remove the code repository for Jack Dorsey's decentralized communication application Bitchat, giving the platform three hours to comply. This incident, occurring against the backdrop of protests and partial mobile network restrictions in India, has further escalated the conflict between decentralized communication tools and government regulation.

Three warehouses were taken down within three hours.

The notification, issued by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, specifically requests action against three repositories under the "permissionlesstech" account: the Bitchat main project, the Android version build repository, and the Android release page.

In its notification, the I4C cited the Information Technology Act and the 2021 IT Rules, requiring GitHub to "remove and block access" to the relevant code, while also ensuring that evidence is not destroyed. As of the time of this report, Microsoft, GitHub's parent company, has not stated whether it has complied within the timeframe.

Officials say the tool interferes with surveillance.

Bitchat transmits messages directly between nearby devices via a Bluetooth mesh network, without relying on the internet, a central server, phone numbers, or accounts. The I4C believes this design significantly increases the difficulty of legitimate interception, identity tracking, and investigation.

The agency also stated that such tools could be exploited during periods of "public disorder, riots, terrorism, organized crime, or internet disruption," and therefore decided to require the code to be removed. The notice also referenced Indian criminal law provisions, indicating that this action is being incorporated into a broader law enforcement framework.

Protests drive the use of offline tools

This order comes as India faces youth-led protests over exam leaks. Reports indicate tens of thousands have participated in rallies in Delhi. With mobile networks cut off around parliament and protest sites, demonstrators are turning to offline communication tools like Bitchat.

Jack Dorsey subsequently made the notification public, stating that the Indian government dislikes technologies like Bitchat. Bitchat community accounts countered that governments that fear free communication often target the tools that enable such communication.

Digital rights groups have issued criticisms.

The Indian digital rights organization, the Internet Freedom Foundation, criticized the takedown order as "unconstitutional and authoritarian." The organization argues that the notice failed to specify the illegal content and circumvented India's existing content blocking procedures.

This is not the first time Bitchat has faced government restrictions. The report mentions that China requested the app be removed from the Apple App Store in April. Compared to App Store removals that only restrict distribution, directly demanding the removal of the source code has a broader impact, putting pressure on the project itself.

Additional information:Just hours after India issued the notification, Bitchat's repository was mirrored onto the decentralized code collaboration platform GitLawb. A few days earlier, Dorsey's Block also launched its decentralized platform Buzz, attempting to reduce its reliance on GitHub.