An Indian court has dismissed a case brought by Elon Musk’s platform X. The company argued that a government portal handed officials sweeping powers to censor online content.
A single judge of the Karnataka High Court ruled that X’s petition against the Sahyog portal was “without merit”. The full text of the judgement has not yet been released.
X has not indicated whether it will appeal the decision.
Second courtroom defeat for X
This ruling marks the second time in just over two years that X has lost a censorship case in India. The platform previously failed to block government powers to remove content. Experts warn the latest defeat could deepen restrictions on free expression.
X has an estimated 25 million users in India. Technology policy researcher Prateek Waghre described the outcome as “worrisome”. He said it legitimised government agencies sending direct takedown orders to platforms. He stressed that the complete impact would only be clear once the full judgement is published.
X’s legal team refused to comment. India’s home and information technology ministries have not issued statements.
Why X opposed the portal
The case, filed in March, targeted Sahyog, a portal run by the federal home ministry. It automates the process of sending takedown notices to platforms such as X and Facebook.
Google, Amazon and Meta joined Sahyog after its launch last year. X refused. In its filing, it labelled the system a “censorship portal”. The company argued that it bypassed safeguards requiring hearings and reviews.
X said the portal gave “countless” officials, including thousands of police officers, unchecked power to demand removals. In July, one of its lawyers claimed it allowed “every Tom, Dick, and Harry officer” to issue takedowns. Government lawyers objected to the remark.
Intermediaries that fail to comply within 36 hours risk losing safe harbour protection. Without this, companies can be held legally responsible for user content.
Government insists regulation is vital
The Indian government defended Sahyog as necessary to handle the surge of harmful material online. Officials said the portal only notified platforms about unlawful content and did not block posts directly.
On Wednesday, the Karnataka judge dismissed X’s challenge. He argued that social media could not exist in “a state of anarchic freedom”. He said regulation was essential and called Sahyog a “public good”.
The judge also pointed out that X complies with takedown rules in the United States. He questioned why the company resisted similar orders in India.
Global context of takedown laws
The court referred to the Take It Down Act, passed in the United States earlier this year. The law criminalises sharing intimate images without consent and requires their removal within 48 hours. X has publicly supported the act.
When X launched its petition, digital rights experts warned that Sahyog had triggered “a wholesale increase in censorship”. Court documents revealed government demands for removals of varied content. These ranged from videos of a deadly crush in Delhi to posts accused of harming the reputation of senior political leaders.
A continuing clash with India
X remains the only major platform to challenge India’s blocking framework. Legal experts often describe the system as opaque and arbitrary.
In 2022, before Elon Musk acquired the company, X fought several takedown orders. The following year, the Karnataka High Court ruled against it and fined the platform 5 million rupees for delays in compliance.
That appeal is still pending. With this latest judgement, X faces another serious obstacle in its ongoing fight over free speech in India.
