X Corp Challenges India’s Content Moderation Authority in Court
NEW DELHI — X Corp, owned by Elon Musk, has initiated legal proceedings against the Indian government, asserting that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has illegally broadened its censorship powers. The social media platform contends this expansion allows for simpler removal of online content and empowers numerous government officials to issue takedown orders.
This legal action signifies an intensification of the ongoing dispute between X and the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi concerning content removal directives. The lawsuit also surfaces as Musk seeks to introduce his ventures Starlink and Tesla to the Indian market.
Allegations of Unrestrained Censorship
In a court filing dated March 5, X argues that MeitY is instructing various government departments to utilize a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) website, launched last year, to issue content blocking orders. These directives allegedly mandate social media companies to participate on this platform.
X claims this system bypasses established Indian legal safeguards for content removal. These safeguards previously required orders to be justified by concerns such as threats to national sovereignty or public order and included oversight from senior officials.
An inquiry from Reuters to MeitY was redirected to the MHA, which has not yet responded to requests for comment.
“Impermissible Parallel Mechanism”
According to X’s filing, this website establishes an “impermissible parallel mechanism” leading to “unchecked censorship of information in India.” The company stated it is seeking to nullify this directive through the legal challenge.
Details of X’s court submission were initially reported by news outlets on Thursday.
Court Hearing and Background of Disputes
The case was briefly addressed earlier this week by a judge at the Karnataka High Court, but no conclusive decision was reached. The next hearing is scheduled for March 27.
In 2021, X, then known as Twitter, faced a confrontation with the Indian government over alleged non-compliance with orders to block tweets related to farmer protests against government policies.
X ultimately complied after public criticism from government officials. However, its legal challenge against the government’s directives continues in Indian courts.