The application Bitchat has been removed from Apple's App Store in India. Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter and a developer associated with the app, confirmed the removal by sharing a screenshot of a notification he received from Apple’s App Review team. The notification indicated that the action was taken in response to a direct order from the Indian government.

While the specific legal or policy grounds for the government's request were not detailed in the initial notice, the removal highlights the ongoing tension between global tech platforms and the Indian regulatory environment. Apple typically complies with local laws in the regions where it operates, and this instance follows a pattern of government-mandated app removals in the country. Neither the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology nor Apple has provided a comprehensive public statement detailing the specific violations or concerns that led to the removal order. The situation remains a point of interest for observers tracking digital censorship and the influence of government mandates on private software distribution platforms.