- Bitchat is a Bluetooth-based messaging app needing no internet, data, or phone numbers
- The app was used at CJP protests in New Delhi and is targeted for shutdown by the government
- India's cybercrime unit ordered Microsoft GitHub to remove Bitchat over security concerns
Think of a walkie talkie but in messaging format. No separate devices needed just your phone. No wifi needed, no mobile data needed. Just bluetooth. You don't need anyone's number/ code etc. You just need to be in the vicinity of each other and you can text - in light of an internet or network shutdown.
In a nutshell that's what Bitchat is - The app that's reportedly been used by people at the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The government reportedly wants it shut down saying it can be used for unlawful activities.
The home ministry's cybercrime arm, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre ordered Microsoft subsidiary GitHub to remove Bitchat, according to a notice.
"The Government of India does not like technologies like Bitchat and wants it taken down," said former Twitter (Now X) co-founder Jac Dorsey who co-developed the app. On Friday in an X post, Dorsey shared a copy of the notice dated July 23.
Why The Government Is Worried
Because it's end-to-end encrypted, the chats can't easily be intercepted. And because there's no central server, no registration and no central database for law enforcement to rely on, the government is worried.
Typically mobile bluetooth range is about 10 metres but this particular technology uses something called bluetooth mesh networking which can extend the network to around 300 metres and beyond.
Instead of your phone needing to connect directly to the person you are texting, the app turns every single phone in the area into a mini relay station.
Why Order GitHub?
Quick context on what GitHub is. Think of it as an open library of software recipes where developers publish and share code.
Now taking it off of Github may only create a minor road block at best because the basic code, blueprints, and independent download files are already out in the wild and very much within the developer community's access. So mirror apps can quickly and easily come up; reports suggest they've already started appearing.
How It Works
So without phone numbers or user accounts, how do you actually find your friend in a sea of people?
It's old-school. You join a local public chat, spot your friend's temporary username, and then switch to a private encrypted conversation. Millennials and boomers may remember Yahoo messenger chatrooms - yeah it's a bit like that.
It's anonymous, it's serverless, and as long as enough people nearby are using it, it's much harder to shut down than a traditional messaging app.
Internet Freedom Foundation's Criticism
The government's move to take down the app has triggered criticism from the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF).
The digital rights organisation argued that the takedown order is legally flawed on multiple grounds and has called on the government to withdraw the notice. It has also demanded the restoration of unrestricted internet connectivity around Jantar Mantar.
