Apple has pulled Jack Dorsey’s messaging app Bitchat from China’s App Store after the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) demanded its removal. The app, launched last year as Bitchat Mesh, lets users communicate anonymously via Bluetooth‑based peer‑to‑peer mesh networking, bypassing traditional internet servers. Its privacy‑first design quickly attracted users in regions experiencing internet shutdowns, such as Uganda, Iran and Nepal.

Chinese regulators argued the software violated Articles 3 of the Provisions on the Security Assessment of Internet‑based Information Services with Public Opinion or Social Mobilisation attributes. That rule forces apps capable of influencing public discourse to undergo a security review before release or update. Apple cited the CAC’s claim that Bitchat failed this assessment, prompting its swift removal from the store.

Dorsey posted on X that he had not received details on any appeal process, leaving the app’s Chinese users without a decentralized messaging option. The takedown underscores how China’s content‑control framework can stifle tools that sidestep state‑run networks, and it reminds developers that compliance with local security assessments remains non‑negotiable for future releases and any attempts to re‑enter the market.