Apple Inc. has removed Bitchat, a decentralized messaging app from Jack Dorsey’s Block Inc., from its China App Store, citing a request from the country’s internet regulator. The move highlights the growing conflict between decentralized technologies and state-controlled internet infrastructure, particularly in nations with extensive censorship.
The removal was confirmed by Dorsey in a post on X, sharing a notice from Apple that the app was pulled in February at the behest of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). According to the notice, the CAC determined Bitchat violates a 2018 regulation governing online services with “public opinion properties or social mobilization capabilities,” which requires a formal security assessment before such apps can operate in the country.
Bitchat functions without a central server, running on a peer-to-peer and mesh network infrastructure that does not require an internet connection. This architecture has made it a popular communication tool during protests and internet shutdowns in countries like Iran, Uganda, and Nepal. The app has surpassed three million downloads on Chrome and one million on the Google Play Store, though regional data is not specified.
The delisting from China’s App Store serves as a significant test for censorship-resistant applications, underscoring the power of app store operators like Apple to act as gatekeepers, even for decentralized platforms. While Bitchat remains available in other countries, its absence from the world’s largest internet market, with an estimated 810 million users on the dominant WeChat platform, illustrates the formidable barriers facing Web3 services in restrictive regulatory environments. The next key development will be observing if other jurisdictions follow China's lead in demanding pre-launch security assessments for peer-to-peer applications.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
