Apple recently removed Bitchat, a decentralized messaging app created by Bitcoin advocate Jack Dorsey, from the China App Store. This action followed a notification from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which cited non-compliance with local regulations as the reason for the removal. Dorsey acknowledged this development in a statement made on a social media platform.
The CAC, an authority under China’s central cyberspace authority, oversees online content regulation, cybersecurity, and content management among other responsibilities. It serves as the main body enforcing compliance with internet regulations, especially concerning news and foreign financial information services. According to the notice shared by Dorsey, Bitchat was flagged for violating regulations that pertain to services impacting public opinion or mobilization.
What does the notification specify about compliance? The notice refers to Article 3, which obliges internet service providers to conduct security assessments and assume responsibilities for certain outcomes when specific risk conditions arise. Key concerns include launching new features related to public opinion, implementing significant technological changes, or experiencing rapid user growth that can impact user influence. Furthermore, failure to manage harmful content effectively can trigger the requirement for a compliance assessment.
The removal of Bitchat highlights the friction between China’s stringent content control measures and messaging tools designed to bypass traditional censorship frameworks. Bitchat's decentralized nature and reliance on peer-to-peer technology piqued the interest of Chinese officials, leading to this regulatory oversight.
Despite the removal from the app store, Bitchat remains functional within China. The app operates over local Bluetooth connections rather than traditional internet infrastructure, ensuring that existing users can still communicate via mesh networks without any decline in service quality. However, the primary limitation lies in distribution—new users in mainland China cannot download the app through Apple’s platform. Android users still have access through Google’s Play Store or directly from Bitchat's website, although some might face challenges accessing Google services due to the country’s enforcement of its Great Firewall.
Bitchat began as a modest project, evolving into an open-source tool with practical applications in scenarios such as protests and emergencies where standard communication networks may fail. The architecture of the app draws from the fundamental principles of Bitcoin, focusing on decentralization, eliminating intermediaries, and ensuring resilience against single points of failure.