Elon Musk’s social media platform X has taken legal action against the Indian government, challenging its content takedown orders.
India, one of the largest digital markets, frequently ranks among the top five countries globally in requesting social media content removal.
X’s lawsuit contests the government’s use of a key legal provision that allegedly bypasses established safeguards, effectively creating an “unlawful parallel mechanism for blocking information,” according to the Indian legal news site Bar and Bench.
The case will be heard in the Karnataka High Court on March 27 after an initial hearing this week failed to resolve.
This is not X’s first legal battle with India over censorship. In 2023, the platform was fined $61,000 after an Indian court rejected its plea against government orders to remove critical posts and accounts. X later appealed the decision, arguing for greater transparency around takedown requests.
In February 2024, the company reiterated its stance, stating, “We believe making these orders public is essential for transparency. This lack of disclosure can lead to a lack of accountability and arbitrary decision-making.”
Musk’s legal standoff comes as his companies, Starlink and Tesla, prepare to expand into the Indian market, adding another layer of complexity to the dispute.
