X sues Indian government over alleged content blocking abuse

Billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has sued the Indian government, challenging its use of the Information Technology (IT) Act to block content. The company argues that Section 79(3)(b) does not grant the government blocking powers and claims authorities are bypassing legal procedures to restrict online content.

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Filed in the Karnataka High Court, X’s petition asserts that the government is misusing the IT Act to sidestep Section 69A, which mandates a structured process for blocking content. The company cites the 2015 Shreya Singhal judgment, which established safeguards for such actions. X contends that while Section 69A permits blocking for reasons like national security, Section 79(3)(b) lacks clear guidelines, potentially leading to arbitrary censorship.

X warns that these actions could severely impact its business, as the platform relies on users’ ability to share lawful information. The company also opposes the government’s insistence that it join Sahyog, a portal under the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which X calls a “Censorship Portal.” X argues there is no legal basis for such a system and insists it has already complied with existing IT regulations.

At a March 17 hearing, Justice M Nagaprasanna advised X to return to court if punitive action is taken.