BENGALURU: Social media platform X said on Monday it was “deeply concerned” by a Karnataka HC order that empowers “millions of police officers” to issue arbitrary content takedown notices through a new portal called Sahyog.
The Elon Musk-owned X said it will appeal the Sept 24 order as part of its broader effort to defend free expression in India but did not indicate whether it would be filed before HC or Supreme Court.
The firm said it respects and complies with Indian law , but argued that the court’s decision fails to address key constitutional concerns it raised in its challenge. It drew attention to a recent Bombay HC ruling striking down a similar framework as unconstitutional.
The platform rejected the view that its foreign incorporation prevented it from taking such positions, stressing it contributes significantly to public discourse in India and places user voices at the centre of its operations. A post from its Global Govt Affairs handle reads: “This new regime (takedown notices through portal) has no basis in the law, circumvents Section 69A of IT Act, violates Supreme Court rulings , and infringes Indian citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression.”
The company said the framework would allow content removal based solely on allegations of illegality without judicial review or due process for speakers, while threatening platforms with criminal liability for non-compliance.
The post followed a HC ruling last Wednesday dismissing X Corp’s petition against govt takedown directions. Justice M Nagaprasanna held that American free speech standards cannot be transplanted into Indian constitutional thought and no global platform can bypass Indian law. HC had described social media as “a modern amphitheatre of ideas” that cannot be left to “anarchic freedom”. “Unregulated speech, under the guise of liberty, becomes a licence to lawlessness,” the order stated.
The Elon Musk-owned X said it will appeal the Sept 24 order as part of its broader effort to defend free expression in India but did not indicate whether it would be filed before HC or Supreme Court.
The firm said it respects and complies with Indian law , but argued that the court’s decision fails to address key constitutional concerns it raised in its challenge. It drew attention to a recent Bombay HC ruling striking down a similar framework as unconstitutional.
The platform rejected the view that its foreign incorporation prevented it from taking such positions, stressing it contributes significantly to public discourse in India and places user voices at the centre of its operations. A post from its Global Govt Affairs handle reads: “This new regime (takedown notices through portal) has no basis in the law, circumvents Section 69A of IT Act, violates Supreme Court rulings , and infringes Indian citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression.”
The company said the framework would allow content removal based solely on allegations of illegality without judicial review or due process for speakers, while threatening platforms with criminal liability for non-compliance.
The post followed a HC ruling last Wednesday dismissing X Corp’s petition against govt takedown directions. Justice M Nagaprasanna held that American free speech standards cannot be transplanted into Indian constitutional thought and no global platform can bypass Indian law. HC had described social media as “a modern amphitheatre of ideas” that cannot be left to “anarchic freedom”. “Unregulated speech, under the guise of liberty, becomes a licence to lawlessness,” the order stated.
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