Government Orders GitHub to Block ‘BitChat’ Code Amid Student Protests

New Delhi, July 25, 2026 – The Indian government has directed Microsoft-owned GitHub to block access to source code repositories of BitChat, a Bluetooth-based messaging app that allows users to communicate without mobile internet, in a move that has drawn sharp criticism from digital rights advocates .

The order was issued late on July 23 by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) , an arm of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and gave GitHub just three hours to comply . The development was made public by BitChat’s founder and former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who posted on X: “The Government of India does not like technologies like BitChat and wants it taken down” .

Why BitChat?

BitChat is a decentralised messaging application that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networking to relay encrypted messages between nearby smartphones . Unlike conventional apps such as WhatsApp or Signal, it does not require:

• An internet connection or mobile network
• Mandatory user registration or phone number verification
• Centralised logging of communications 

This design makes it particularly useful during internet shutdowns—exactly the situation protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar have faced repeatedly .

Government’s Security Concerns

In its notice, the I4C stated that BitChat’s technical architecture “significantly impedes lawful interception, attribution and investigation by law enforcement agencies” . The order claimed that decentralised communication platforms could be exploited for:

• Coordinating unlawful assemblies and violent protests
• Dissemination of misinformation and radicalisation
• Criminal conspiracies
• Activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India 

The government also invoked provisions of the Information Technology Act and the IT Rules, 2021, arguing that the app enables users to “circumvent lawful restrictions imposed by competent authorities during situations involving public disorder, riots, terrorism, organised crime, or internet shutdowns” .

The Protest Context

The action comes amid intensifying protests by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar, where students have been demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance examination and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan .

Since July 17, authorities have suspended mobile internet services around the protest site on at least five occasions, affecting a 1.5-kilometre radius that includes Janpath and parts of Connaught Place . Many protesters turned to BitChat to stay connected when mobile networks were cut off .

Digital Rights Groups React

The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) condemned the order, calling it “unconstitutional and authoritarian” . In a statement, the IFF argued:

1. The order does not identify a single unlawful message
2. It objects to the app’s capability to enable communication, not any actual misuse
3. A three-hour deadline issued close to midnight forecloses legal assessment 

The IFF also pointed out that the order marks one of the first known instances of the government using takedown provisions against source code on GitHub, rather than seeking removal of specific content .

What This Means

The BitChat blocking order represents a significant escalation in the government’s response to the student protest movement. By targeting the source code of a communication tool rather than individual posts or messages, it raises fundamental questions about:

• The scope of government authority under the IT Act
• The right to use privacy-preserving technologies
• The balance between public order and digital freedom 

As of the time of reporting, GitHub had not publicly responded to the government’s request, and the URLs remained accessible .

Source: Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs; Internet Freedom Foundation; statements by Jack Dorsey; multiple media reports