Governments that deploy internet shutdowns to thwart protesters have struggled to clamp down on offline messaging apps. India’s recent response to Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat suggests that battle is entering a new phase.
Bitchat, launched by the Twitter co-founder in 2025, allows nearby phones to communicate over Bluetooth even when mobile networks or internet access are unavailable. Last month, the app had its biggest real-world test after authorities shut down internet access during student protests in New Delhi.
As protesters turned to Bitchat, the Indian government tried to block access to the app’s source code on GitHub, a Microsoft-owned platform that allows developers to create, store, manage, and share their code. In the past, the Indian government has blocked apps from official app stores due to various reasons, but digital rights advocates say this appears to be the first known attempt to geoblock an open-source software repository.
The episode highlights a growing challenge for governments.
Thank you so much for the Columba recommendation! I played around with it enough to connect two devices over Bluetooth LE, and I assume if I had the extra hardware, I’d be able to use a LoRa radio with it too (looks like the option to flash it is simply built into the app).
I might need to look into the privacy implications of turning on a Bluetooth radio at a local event when a lot of recommendations say you should leave your phone at home, but this at least seems promising if somebody had a second device specifically for these things.