Key Facts

• The Bitchat app was built to enable users to relay encrypted messages and bitcoin transactions through an offline Bluetooth mesh network, allowing for communication in areas with internet shutdowns.
• The 'Cockroach Janta Party' protesters in Delhi were using the mesh tools, including Bitchat, to communicate with each other during internet shutdowns, posing a challenge to the government's efforts to restrict their communication.
• The Indian government's order targets Bitchat specifically, indicating a focus on disrupting the use of technology by protesters who have been utilizing the app to evade internet shutdowns.