The move targets decentralized messaging apps on Google’s platform, signaling tighter scrutiny of tools that can operate without centralized servers.
India has ordered Google to remove the decentralized messaging apps Bitchat, Briar and Bridgefy. The directive focuses on services built to function without centralized servers, a design often used to support peer-to-peer communication and resilience during internet disruptions. The brief report does not specify the legal basis for the order, whether the apps were removed immediately, or whether Apple and other platforms were affected.