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Relevance: GS-II (Fundamental Rights); GS-III (Cyber Security, IT Act) Source: Ministry of Home Affairs / Legal Updates, 2026

1 · What is the news

Our youth are currently protesting peacefully against severe exam corruption. To control crowds, authorities often completely shut down the internet in these areas. To stay safe and connected, students started relying on ‘BitChat’, a clever app that works on Bluetooth and needs absolutely no internet.
Fearing this, the government ordered the platform GitHub to delete the BitChat app, claiming it could be used for “unlawful assemblies.” However, legal experts are worried. Banning a basic communication tool just because protesters might use it is a massive overreach. In a democracy, cutting off digital lifelines instead of listening to the genuine problems of the youth is an unfair legal shortcut.

2 · From Protest to the App Ban

Step 1: The Internet Blackout
When students gather to protest peacefully, authorities frequently shut down mobile internet to stop them from organizing.
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Step 2: The Bluetooth Lifeline
Students adapt by using BitChat. It uses Bluetooth to connect phones directly to each other without needing any mobile towers or Wi-Fi.
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Step 3: The Blanket Ban
The Home Ministry orders the complete removal of the app to stop its use during protests.
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Step 4: The Legal Flaw
The government uses Section 79 of the IT Act (meant for removing bad posts) instead of Section 69A (meant for banning apps), bypassing proper legal checks!

3 · Key Legal & Tech Concepts

Mesh Networks
How BitChat Works
Unlike WhatsApp, BitChat has no central server. Phones connect directly to nearby phones using Bluetooth, creating a “human chain” of messages that works even during internet blackouts.
Section 79 vs. 69A
The Legal Shortcut
Section 79 is only for asking platforms to delete specific illegal content. To ban an entire app, the government must use Section 69A, which requires formal written reasons and hearings.
Anuradha Bhasin Case
The Proportionality Test
The Supreme Court ruled that shutting down communication must be an absolute last resort. A blanket ban on an app just because it might be misused fails this legal test of fairness.
Democratic Rights
Protecting Our Youth
Students use these apps to ensure their physical safety during protests. Empowering the youth means protecting their constitutional right to communicate, not treating them as threats to the state.

UPSC Prelims Quick Facts: IT Act & Bodies
I4C The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs to tackle cybercrime in a coordinated manner.
Section 69A (IT Act) Grants the government the power to issue directions to block public access to any information through any computer resource (in the interest of sovereignty and security).
Decentralised App An application that operates without a central server. This makes it highly resistant to censorship and natural disaster outages.
Article 19(1)(a) & (b) Guarantees all citizens the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression, and to assemble peacefully without arms.

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Digital Rights in India, consider the following statements:

  1. Section 69A of the IT Act grants the government the power to block public access to any specific website or application.
  2. In the Anuradha Bhasin case (2020), the Supreme Court ruled that the suspension of internet services must satisfy the test of proportionality.
  3. A Bluetooth “Mesh Network” heavily relies on a single centralized government server to function.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 2 and 3 only    (c) 1 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

  • Statement 1 — Correct: Section 69A is the correct legal provision used by the government to officially block apps and websites in the interest of national security.
  • Statement 2 — Correct: The Supreme Court firmly established that shutting down the internet affects fundamental rights, and any such ban must be carefully tailored and proportional.
  • Statement 3 — Incorrect (the trap): A mesh network is decentralized! It connects devices directly to each other without needing any central server or active internet connection.
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