Elon Musk’s X is taking the Indian government to court again, this time fighting a ruling that it says will open the floodgates to millions of censorship demands. The social media company is “deeply concerned” about a new online portal that enables police officers to request the removal of content without judicial review.
The portal, called Sahyog, is described by the government as a tool to automate the process of sending takedown notices to social media companies. However, X is labeling it a “censorship portal,” arguing that it empowers “millions” of officials, including local police, to order content removal based on a simple allegation of “illegality.”
X claims this new system has “no basis in the law” and “circumvents” the proper legal process. The company is concerned that it will be compelled to remove substantial amounts of content without due process for the individuals who posted it. If it doesn’t comply, it could face criminal charges. “We will appeal this order to defend free expression,” X said in a statement.
This is just the latest in a long series of battles between X and the Indian government over content moderation. The company has challenged similar takedown orders in the past, and officials even threatened to jail Twitter employees back in 2021 during widespread protests. This new fight shows the ongoing tension between the social media giant and a government that is increasingly trying to control what is said online.
