Bitchat, a decentralized messaging application developed by Jack Dorsey, hasbeen removed from the App Store in China following a request from the country’sinternet regulator.SingaporeSummit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).Dorsey said in a post on X that the app wastaken down earlier this year. He wrote that “Bitchat pulled from the China AppStore,” and shared a notice from Apple’s app review team. The notice statedthat the app had been removed in February and that its TestFlight beta versionwould no longer be available in China. The decision was made at the request ofthe Cyberspace Administration of China.Apple Blocks Bitchat, Cites Local LawsAccording to the notice, the regulatordetermined that Bitchat violated rules governing online services with “publicopinion or social mobilization capabilities.” These rules came into force in2018. Under the provisions, such services must undergo a security assessmentbefore launch and “be responsible for the assessment results.”Apple’s app review team said developers mustcomply with local laws in all markets where their apps are available. The teamadded that “it is your responsibility to understand and make sure your appconforms with all local laws,” and noted that apps encouraging unlawful orrisky behavior would be rejected.Bitchat operates without a central server. It usesBluetooth and mesh networks to transmit messages directly between devices. Thesystem does not rely on internet access. This structure has made the appdifficult to control through conventional network restrictions.Millions Download Bitchat Outside China MarketsIn recent months, the app has gained tractionduring protests in several countries, including Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal,Indonesia, and Iran. Authorities in those countries had attempted to limitinternet access or block communication platforms, Cointelegraph reported.Despite its removal in China, Bitchat remainsavailable in other regions, according to Apple. Download data indicates growingusage. Figures from the Chrome platform show more than three million downloads,including over 92,000 in the past week. The Google Play Store reports more thanone million installs. The data does not specify geographic distribution.This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.