Elon Musk’s ‘X’ files lawsuit against Modi government over censorship

Elon Musk-owned social media platform ‘X’ (formerly twitter) has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government in the Karnataka High Court over the imposition of censorship and blocking of content on the platform.

The social media giant stated that the Indian government is unlawfully using Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. The company further stated that while the government has the authority to remove or block content in specific circumstances, it is misusing this provision.

‘X’ also stated that the orders issued by the government do not provide clear reasons, nor is the platform given a fair hearing, which is against legal principles. The company’s petition also mentions that the Indian government’s orders do not comply with Section 69 of the Information Technology Act, which outlines specific guidelines for content removal.