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Wire · regulatory

Govt Blocking of BitChat's Code on GitHub Unconstitutional and Authoritarian

Published

26 July 2026

Topic

regulatory

Sectors

Cybersecurity

Geography

India

Source

Read at m.thewire.in

Verified

Fusion42 · 26 July 2026 · Fusion42 review

India's Home Ministry ordered GitHub to remove BitChat, a Bluetooth messaging app, citing Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act after protesters used it to communicate during internet shutdowns around Jantar Mantar. The Internet Freedom Foundation has challenged the order as unconstitutional, arguing it conflates anticipated misuse with actual illegality and bypasses due process safeguards required under Indian constitutional law.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Cybersecurity. Wire is Fusion42's founder-focused intelligence feed: each story is connected to the funds and startups it names — every one with a live profile on Raise or Scout — so founders can follow the capital and the momentum behind the headline rather than just the headline itself. Wire analysis is one of the live surfaces Arthur reasons over.

◆ The Wire takeaway

If you build mesh or censorship-resistant comms tools, India has just signalled takedowns via Section 79(3)(b) without court review or named cause — and the legal challenge is still pending. You now have a three-hour removal deadline and no clear safe harbour, which means a code fork or mirror in a different jurisdiction becomes part of your product strategy.

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Topics

Cybersecuritycontent-moderationinternet-shutdownsopen-sourceindia-regulationfree-speech