India Orders Bitchat Takedown Amid Delhi Protests

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- India ordered the takedown of Bitchat, an offline Bluetooth mesh app built by Jack Dorsey to relay encrypted messages and bitcoin transactions.
- The order targets the app as "Cockroach Janta Party" protesters in Delhi rely on mesh tools to communicate through internet shutdowns.
Why it matters: India's takedown order directly affects "Cockroach Janta Party" protesters in Delhi, who depend on Bitchat's offline Bluetooth mesh to communicate during internet shutdowns. By targeting an app built to work without internet infrastructure and relay bitcoin transactions, Indian authorities are moving against censorship-resistant communication and financial tools at the same time.
