Internet Freedom Foundation calls BitChat GitHub order unlawful
The Internet Freedom Foundation calls India’s order to strip Jack Dorsey’s BitChat code from GitHub unconstitutional. In a Friday statement, the digital rights group said the notice exceeds government legal authority, bypasses formal blocking safeguards, and threatens free speech and open-source software.
Key Takeaways
- India’s cybercrime agency ordered GitHub to disable three BitChat repositories within three hours.
- The Internet Freedom Foundation calls the takedown unconstitutional and a threat to free speech.
- IFF says officials used Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act instead of the formal blocking process.
- BitChat routes encrypted messages over Bluetooth without internet or centralized servers.
- The group urged India to withdraw the notice and publish all related takedown orders.
Why did India order BitChat removed from GitHub?
According to Cointelegraph, India’s cybercrime agency directed GitHub to disable access to three BitChat repositories within three hours.
Authorities argued the decentralized messaging app could help users bypass internet shutdowns, evade lawful surveillance, and facilitate unlawful activities.
The Internet Freedom Foundation’s response landed a day after that order, escalating a clash over speech, surveillance, and open-source code that readers following Fintech & Crypto Alerts should watch closely.
Why does the Internet Freedom Foundation call the order unconstitutional?
IFF argued the notice exceeded the government’s legal authority because it was issued under Section 79(3)(b) of India’s Information Technology Act rather than the country’s formal website-blocking process, which includes procedural safeguards.
The group also disputed the government’s justification. It noted the order did not identify any unlawful content in the repositories and instead treated BitChat’s decentralized design itself as grounds for removal.
In its statement posted on X on Friday, IFF called on the government to withdraw the notice and publish all takedown orders issued under the provision.
What is BitChat and why does this matter?
BitChat is a decentralized messaging app linked to Jack Dorsey. It routes encrypted messages between nearby devices over Bluetooth without relying on internet connectivity or centralized servers.
Since its release in July 2025, the app has gained traction during protests, natural disasters, and internet shutdowns. Downloads and adoption have surged during unrest and outages in countries including Madagascar, Nepal, Uganda, Jamaica, and Iran.
That offline design is exactly what Indian authorities flagged—and what digital-rights advocates say should not, by itself, justify removing open-source repositories from GitHub.
For crypto and privacy watchers, the dispute is less about one app and more about whether governments can treat resilient messaging tools as unlawful by design. IFF’s stance frames the BitChat GitHub order as a free-speech and open-source flashpoint, not a routine content takedown.