According to details shared online, GitHub has been directed by the Government of India to remove or disable access to two source-code repositories and a releases page for the Bitchat Android application.
Read more about the update below.
I4C Directs GitHub to Remove Bitchat URLs
As per the copy of the notice by Bitchat on X, GitHub has been directed to remove or disable access to three specified URLs associated with Bitchat within three hours. This notice has been issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 shared , the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) issued a “reasoned intimation” carrying the notice number ‘11072601011432’ on the 23rd of July 2026 at 11:16:04 PM.
BitChat Community on X
For those who don’t know, Bitchat is a peer-to-peer encrypted messaging application described as having been conceived by Doris Lima and developed by Twitter (now X) co-founder Jack Dorsey. According to its official GitHub repository, the application uses Bluetooth mesh networks for offline communication and does not require accounts, phone numbers, or centralised servers.
The order has been issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The following GitHub URLs have been identified in the notice:
github.com/permissionlesstech/bitchat
github.com/permissionlesstech/bitchat-android
github.com/permissionlesstech/bitchat-android/releases
The timing of this action coincides with the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in Delhi, during which mobile internet services were temporarily suspended across parts of central Delhi. However, the shared notice does not explicitly identify the CJP protests as the reason behind the direction issued to GitHub. Reuters reported that telecom operators were asked to disable mobile data services around the protest areas on the 23rd of July.
According to the notice, Bitchat’s decentralised architecture makes lawful interception, attribution, and investigation more difficult for law-enforcement agencies.
Stay tuned for more updates!
