Jack Dorsey’s New App BITCHAT Gets Banned by Apple in China-Find Out Why!

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Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat removed from Apple App Store in China over violations

Jack Dorsey’s new messaging app, Bitchat, has been removed from Apple’s App Store in China because it didn’t follow the country’s rules for online services.

Summary

  • Bitchat was removed from Apple’s China App Store after regulators flagged it under rules governing apps that can influence public opinion.
  • The decentralized messaging app remains available globally and continues to see rising downloads, with over three million installs recorded.

According to a message from Apple, Bitchat was removed from the App Store in February at the request of Chinese authorities (the Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC). Twitter’s former CEO, Jack Dorsey, confirmed this on Sunday.

China’s Cyberspace Administration (CAC) says Bitchat broke a rule established in 2018 that requires platforms with the ability to influence public opinion or organize social activity to be vetted for security risks before they launch and to be held accountable for their content. Specifically, Bitchat violated Article 3 of these regulations.

Apple states that all apps need to follow the laws and regulations of each country where they are offered.

The Apple review team acknowledged that their rules can be complex, but emphasized that developers are responsible for ensuring their apps follow all applicable local laws, not just the provided guidelines. They also stated that apps which promote or encourage dangerous or illegal activities will not be approved.

The recent issue is limited to China; Bitchat continues to work normally in all other countries.

Bitchat thrives against censorship

Bitchat has become popular during times of political turmoil because its decentralized design lets people communicate even when the internet is blocked. However, this clashes with China’s strict internet censorship policies.

Chrome’s app has proven popular, racking up over three million downloads in total, and averaging more than 92,000 downloads each week.

As crypto.news reported earlier, the Bitchat app saw a large increase in downloads in Uganda when the internet was blocked during the election. Nyombi Thembo noted at the time that the government had the ability to block the app if they chose to.

Despite these challenges, more people started using the app, particularly because Bobi Wine, a leading opposition figure, encouraged its use as a way around internet restrictions.

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2026-04-06 08:48