Bitchat, a decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app developed by Block CEO Jack Dorsey, has been removed from Apple’s App Store in China for allegedly violating its internet service regulations.
In an X post on Sunday, Dorsey shared a screenshot from Apple’s app review team informing him that Bitchat had been removed from the App Store in February and that the TestFlight beta version would no longer be available in China at the request of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
“Bitchat pulled from the China App Store,” he said.
Bitchat has seen its popularity rise during protests in Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia and Iran in recent months, as governments attempted to shut down regular communication channels and internet access to curb dissent.
The peer-to-peer encrypted messaging service runs entirely over Bluetooth and mesh networks and operates without an internet connection, which could put it at odds with China’s internet-censorship-prone regime.
Bitchat violated internet regulator’s provision
The CAC argued Bitchat violated Article 3 of its regulations governing online services with public opinion or social mobilization capabilities, which came into force in 2018.
Under the provisions, any online services that could influence public opinion or enable social mobilization are required to conduct a security assessment before launch and “be responsible for the assessment results,” according to a Google Translate version of the regulations.
The app review team also said all apps on its store must comply with local requirements in the countries where they are available.
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“We know this stuff is complicated, but it is your responsibility to understand and make sure your app conforms with all local laws, not just the guidelines below. And of course, apps that solicit, promote or encourage criminal or reckless behavior will be rejected,” they added.
Still available in other countries
Despite being pulled in China, Bitchat remains available in other countries, according to Apple’s app review team.
Chrome download stats show the app has been downloaded more than three million times, with more than 92,000 in the past week. The Google Play Store has recorded more than one million registered downloads.
However, neither specifies which regions were responsible for the bulk of downloads.
By comparison, WeChat, developed and operated by Tencent, one of China’s largest tech companies, has an estimated 810 million users in China, out of a national population of more than 1.4 billion.
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