China orders Apple to pull Dorsey's Bitchat, the messaging app used during Iran protests

Tech Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email China orders Apple to pull Dorsey's Bitchat, the messaging app used during Iran protests The peer-to-peer app runs entirely over Bluetooth and mesh networks without an internet connection, making it popular with protesters and incompatible with Beijing's censorship regime. By Shaurya Malwa Apr 6, 2026, 7:47 a.m. Make preferred on What to know : Apple removed Bitchat, a decentralized messaging app created by Block CEO Jack Dorsey, from its China App Store at the request of Beijing's internet regulator. Chinese authorities said Bitchat violated rules for online services with public opinion or social mobilization capabilities, which require security assessments before launch. The app, which uses Bluetooth and mesh networks to work without an internet connection, has become popular during protests in several countries and remains available outside China. Tech giant Apple removed Bitchat, a decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app developed by Block CEO Jack Dorsey, from its China App Store at the request of Beijing's internet regulator, Dorsey disclosed in an X post on Sunday. The Cyberspace Administration of China argued the app violated regulations governing online services with "public opinion or social mobilization capabilities," a provision that requires security assessments before launch. Apple's app review team told Dorsey that both the App Store listing and the TestFlight beta version would no longer be available in China, though the app remains accessible in other countries. bitchat pulled from the china app store pic.twitter.com/jrrd0gDrA9 — jack (@jack) April 5, 2026 Bitchat runs entirely over Bluetooth and mesh networks with no internet connection required, a design that makes it functionally impossible for governments to block through conventional internet shutdowns or firewall filtering. That architecture has made it a tool of choice during recent protests in Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia, and Iran, where authorities attempted to restrict internet access to curb dissent. The app has been downloaded more than three million times across platforms, with over 92,000 downloads in the past week alone, though regional breakdowns are not available. The Google Play Store shows more than one million registered downloads separately. More For You Encryption Supremacy: Zcash and Privacy in the Age of Scale By CoinDesk Research Mar 31, 2026 Commissioned by GenZcash Most crypto privacy models weaken as blockchain data grows. Encryption-based models like Zcash strengthen. CoinDesk Research maps the five privacy approaches and examines the widening gap. Why it matters : As blockchain adoption scales, the metadata available to machine learning models scales with it. Obfuscation-based privacy approaches are structurally degrading as a result. This report provides a comprehensive comparison of all five major crypto privacy architectures and a framework for evaluating which models remain durable as AI capabilities improve. View Full Report More For You A simple explainer on what quantum computing actually is, and why it is terrifying for bitcoin By Shaurya Malwa | Edited by Aoyon Ashraf 11 hours ago Most simplifies the complex process of quantum computing as "it can be 0 and 1 at the same time." That is not an explanation for why it threatens Bitcoin. This is. What to know : Google has published research suggesting a future quantum computer could theoretically derive a bitcoin private key from its public key in about nine minutes, threatening the security of Bitcoin and other cryptographic systems. Unlike classical computers, which process bits as either 0 or 1, quantum computers use qubits that can... Read full story Latest Crypto News Circle future-proofs Arc blockchain against quantum threats 30 minutes ago XRP drifts higher to $1.33, but range-bound trade still dominates 1 hour ago Bitcoin reclaims $69,000 as ceasefire talks surface and crypto shorts get squeezed 2 hours ago Bitcoin meltdown to $10,000 remains likely unless prices reclaim $75,000, analyst says 3 hours ago A simple explainer on what quantum computing actually is, and why it is terrifying for bitcoin 11 hours ago Polymarket pulls controversial Iran rescue markets after intense backlash 12 hours ago Top Stories Drift says $270 million exploit was a six-month North Korean intelligence operation 19 hours ago Traders are the big winners as 24/7 stocks will finally end the after-hours price 'manipulation' Apr 4, 2026 Solana's quantum-threat readiness reveals harsh tradeoff: security vs speed Apr 4, 2026 Bitcoin's $1.3 trillion security race: Key initiatives aimed at quantum-proofing the world's largest blockchain Apr 5, 2026 Ex-UK Chancellor backs bitcoin as alternative to failing systems Apr 4, 2026 Here's what 'cracking' bitcoin in 9 minutes by quantum computers actually means Apr 4, 2026