Elon Musk-owned social media platform X is suing the Indian government, accusing the country’s IT ministry of unlawfully expanding its powers to remove online content, Reuters reported Thursday.
X has long chaffed at government orders to remove or block content in the country, such as during the farmers’ protests last year. Though it ended up complying with those executive orders, citing the risk of substantial penalties, it did also file a legal challenge. Now it’s further stepping up opposition to state censorship efforts via fresh litigation.
According to a court filing X made earlier this month, the company has accused the Indian government of creating an unlawful mechanism through which “countless” public officials can execute content takedown or blocking orders via a website that social media companies should regularly check.
Per Reuters, X’s lawsuit alleges that this mechanism fails to meet Indian legal safeguards on content removal that require such orders “to be issued in cases such as harm to sovereignty or public order, and … with strict oversight of top officials”.
X claims the website creates “an impermissible parallel mechanism” that causes “unrestrained censorship of information in India”, according to the news agency’s report of its filing. The company is hoping to use a legal route to quash the directive, it said.
A brief hearing on the case was held earlier this month, Reuters also reported, but no ruling has been made. Another hearing is expected to take place in the High Court of southern Karnataka state next week.