Beijing Orders Apple to Remove Jack Dorsey's Bitchat Application from Chinese Market
Since its debut in July of last year, Bitchat has become a crucial communication tool during demonstrations across Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia and Iran, particularly when governments tried to limit internet access.
Apple has removed Bitchat, a decentralized peer-to-peer communication application created by Jack Dorsey, the Chief Executive Officer of Block, from its Chinese App Store following claims that it breached the country's internet service regulations.
Through a post on X published on Sunday, Dorsey distributed a screenshot he received from Apple's app review team notifying him that Bitchat was taken down from the App Store in February and that China would no longer have access to the TestFlight beta version following a formal request from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
"Bitchat pulled from the China App Store," he stated.
The application has experienced a surge in user adoption during demonstrations in Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia and Iran over recent months, particularly as governmental authorities have worked to disable conventional communication platforms and internet connectivity in efforts to suppress opposition movements.
The peer-to-peer encrypted communication platform functions exclusively through Bluetooth and mesh network technology and works independently of internet connectivity, a feature that likely conflicts with China's extensive internet censorship framework.
Bitchat violated internet regulator's provision
According to the CAC, Bitchat was in breach of Article 3 of its regulatory framework controlling online platforms that possess public opinion influence or social mobilization functionalities, which became enforceable in 2018.
According to these provisions, any internet-based platforms capable of shaping public opinion or facilitating social mobilization must undergo a security evaluation prior to their release and "be responsible for the assessment results," based on a Google Translate interpretation of the regulatory text.
Apple's app review team further explained that every application available through its store must adhere to local regulatory requirements in each nation where they operate.
"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
While Bitchat has been removed from the Chinese market, the application continues to be accessible in other nations across the globe, as confirmed by Apple's app review team.
Statistics from Chrome downloads indicate the application has accumulated over three million total downloads, including more than 92,000 downloads within the last week alone. Meanwhile, the Google Play Store has documented over one million registered installations.
That said, neither platform provides specific geographic breakdowns identifying which particular regions accounted for the majority of these downloads.
For context, WeChat, which is developed and managed by Tencent, among China's most prominent technology corporations, maintains an estimated user base of 810 million within China, drawn from a total national population exceeding 1.4 billion people.