India orders GitHub to remove Jack Dorsey's Bitchat code repositories following government concerns over messaging app use during protests.
Regulation & Gov ·
India's Cyber Crime Coordination Centre ordered GitHub to remove three Bitchat code repositories within three hours, citing the Bluetooth-based messaging app's potential to impede lawful surveillance and facilitate misuse during public disorder or internet shutdowns. The action invoked India's IT Act and 2021 IT Rules and came as the app saw use among demonstrators during protests over exam-paper leaks with mobile internet cuts in place. Digital-rights advocates called the takedown unconstitutional and authoritarian, while Bitchat repositories were mirrored to decentralized platforms within hours of the order.