An Indian court has rejected a case brought by Elon Musk’s platform X. The company argued that a government portal gave officials excessive authority to censor content online.
A single judge of the Karnataka High Court said X’s petition against the Sahyog portal was “without merit”. The full judgement has not yet been released.
X has not yet confirmed if it will appeal.
A second major loss for X
This marks the second time in just over two years that X has lost a legal fight against censorship rules in India. The platform previously failed to stop government powers to remove content. Experts fear the new decision will weaken online free speech.
X has about 25 million users in India. Technology policy researcher Prateek Waghre called the ruling “worrisome”. He said it legitimised government agencies sending direct takedown orders to platforms. He added the full effect would only be clear when the judgement is published.
X’s lawyers declined to comment. India’s home and information technology ministries have not issued statements.
Why the portal is controversial
X filed its case in March against Sahyog, a portal run by the federal home ministry. The system automates government takedown notices to platforms like X and Facebook.
Google, Amazon and Meta signed up to Sahyog after it launched last year. X refused. It described the portal as a “censorship tool” that bypassed legal safeguards such as hearings and reviews.
X argued the system empowered “countless” officials, including thousands of police officers, to order removals without oversight. In July, one of its lawyers said it allowed “every Tom, Dick, and Harry officer” to issue orders. Government lawyers objected to the remark.
Companies that ignore takedown orders for more than 36 hours risk losing safe harbour protections. Without these, they can be held responsible for user content.
Government pushes for stronger control
The Indian government defended Sahyog. It said the portal was essential to manage a growing flood of unlawful and harmful content. Officials argued the system only notified platforms about violations instead of directly blocking posts.
On Wednesday, the Karnataka judge dismissed X’s claims. He said social media could not exist in “a state of anarchic freedom”. He called regulation necessary and described Sahyog as a “public good”.
He also noted that X follows takedown rules in the United States. He asked why the platform refused to comply with similar requirements in India.
US law shapes the debate
The court referred to the Take It Down Act, passed in the United States earlier this year. The law bans the posting of intimate images without consent and requires removal within 48 hours. X has voiced support for the law.
When X filed its case, digital rights advocates warned Sahyog had already led to “a wholesale increase in censorship”. Court documents showed that authorities demanded the removal of content ranging from videos of a deadly crush in Delhi to posts seen as damaging the reputation of top politicians.
Ongoing battle with regulators
X is the only major social media company that continues to challenge India’s blocking framework. Experts often call the system opaque and arbitrary.
In 2022, before Musk bought the platform, X contested several takedown orders. A year later, the Karnataka High Court ruled against the company and fined it 5 million rupees for delays in compliance.
That appeal remains pending. With this latest defeat, X faces a fresh obstacle in its continuing struggle over digital freedoms in India.
