Why Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat messenger app was taken down in India: The controversy explained

Amid the protests in New Delhi, the Indian government quietly banned a messenger app that allowed users to text each other without using internet connectivity, bypassing the internet restrictions. The app in the spotlight is Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat messenger app – one that relies on Bluetooth connectivity to share messages.

Developed by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, Bitchat relies entirely on peer-to-peer Bluetooth mesh networking. It requires no cellular coverage, no SIM cards, and no centralised routing servers to send messages. Users simply broadcast encrypted packets directly from device to device, building short-range ad-hoc networks that bypass traditional telecom switches entirely.