Apple has removed Bitchat from the Chinese App Store, following a request from the country’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC), reports 9to5Mac.
Bitchat is a peer-to-peer encrypted messaging app developed by Jack Dorsey, co‑founder of Twitter and Block, Inc. Announced in July 2025, Bitchat enables users to send messages via Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networks without requiring internet connections, cellular service, user accounts, or central servers.
According to Apple, the CAC alleged that the app was in breach of “Articles 3 of the Provisions on the Security Assessment of Internet-based Information Services with Attribute of Public Opinions or Capable of Social Mobilization,” which basically requires apps capable of influencing public opinion or mobilizing users to undergo a security assessment before being launched or updated.
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