Tech giant Apple removed Bitchat, a decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app developed by Block CEO Jack Dorsey, from its Chinese App Store at the request of Beijing’s internet regulator, Dorsey revealed in an X article on Sunday.
The Cyberspace Administration of China argued that the app violated regulations governing online services with “public opinion or social mobilization capabilities,” a provision that requires security assessments before launch.
Apple’s app review team told Dorsey that the App Store listing and beta version of TestFlight will no longer be available in China, although the app will remain accessible in other countries.
Bitchat operates entirely over Bluetooth and mesh networks with no internet connection required, a design that makes it functionally impossible for governments to block via conventional internet shutdowns or firewall filtering.
This architecture has made it a tool of choice during recent protests in Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia and Iran, where authorities have attempted to restrict Internet access to curb dissent.
The app has been downloaded more than three million times across all platforms, with more than 92,000 downloads in the last week alone, although regional breakdowns are not available. The Google Play Store separately shows over a million recorded downloads.
