Bangalore, India: Elon Musk’s social media company, X, has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, challenging the use of the Sahyog portal, accusing it of misusing digital laws to censor content.
Filed in the Karnataka High Court, the lawsuit challenges the government’s Sahyog portal, launched by the home ministry in 2023. X claims the portal enables arbitrary content removal without following legal safeguards, violating India’s digital laws. It refuses to join Sahyog, calling it a “censorship portal.”
The Indian government defends Sahyog as an essential tool to combat harmful online content, and claims it is only issuing “notices” rather than blocking orders. However, X argues that countless government officials, including thousands of police officers, are unilaterally ordering content takedowns.
The lawsuit follows a directive from India’s railway ministry ordering X to remove hundreds of posts, including videos of a deadly crush in Delhi, where 18 people died during the Kumbh Mela. X argues that such orders bypass due process, which requires notices, hearings, and reviews before content is blocked.
While Google, Meta, and Amazon have agreed to join Sahyog, X insists it is being forced into compliance. India’s IT and home ministries have not responded to the issue.
History of clashes
X’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal battles with Indian authorities. In 2021, before Musk’s takeover, Delhi police raided Twitter’s offices after the platform flagged a ruling party spokesperson’s tweet as “manipulated media”.
In 2022, X challenged blocking orders related to farmer protests but lost the case and was fined ₹5 million ($58,000; £45,000). The company has appealed, and the case is still ongoing in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, India has also opened an investigation into X’s chatbot, Grok, over its controversial and politically sensitive responses.
Business interests in India
The timing of the lawsuit is significant, as Musk’s companies Starlink and Tesla are making inroads into India.
- Starlink has partnered with two of India’s largest telecom firms to provide satellite internet, pending government approval.
- Tesla is expanding its presence, hiring employees in Delhi and Mumbai, and scouting locations for showrooms.
Musk recently met with Modi at the White House, and experts believe his business interests and political ties may give him leverage in India despite the lawsuit.
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