Following a request from China's internet regulator, Apple has delisted Bitchat, a peer-to-peer messaging app created by Block CEO Jack Dorsey, from its Chinese app store. According to Dorsey, the app was taken down due to non-compliance with regulations governing online services that have the potential to influence public opinion or mobilize society, which require prior security assessments. As a result, both the App Store listing and the TestFlight beta version are no longer accessible in China, although the app remains available in other countries. The app's unique design, which allows it to operate entirely over Bluetooth and mesh networks without an internet connection, has made it a popular choice among protesters in countries such as Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia, and Iran, where authorities have attempted to restrict internet access to suppress dissent.
With over three million downloads across platforms and more than 92,000 downloads in the past week alone, the app's removal from the China App Store marks a significant development in the country's ongoing efforts to regulate online activity.