On Monday, social media company X said that it would challenge a court ruling in India that would permit more than two million police officers across the country to seek takedowns at will using a covert web site known as Sahyog.
In its first statement since the High Court of Karnataka decided last week that the company’s legal challenge to India’s content removal procedures lacked legal basis, X posted on the site, saying, “We will appeal this order to defend free expression.”
“The Sahyog threatens platforms with criminal liability for non-compliance and empowers officers to order content removal based solely on allegations of “illegality,” without judicial review or due process for the speakers,” X stated on Monday.
X and New Delhi have previously clashed, with X comparing the government’s procedures to censorship. According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, the new approach combats the spread of illegal information and guarantees online responsibility.
Elon Musk, the owner of X, is a self-described free-speech absolutist who has fought with authorities in a number of nations over demands for material removal and compliance. However, the company’s case in India focused on the entire foundation for more internet regulation in the most populous country in the world.
Since 2023, Modi’s administration has increased its efforts to monitor the internet by enabling a large number of bureaucrats to issue takedown requests and send them straight to tech companies via an October website launch.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
