21 mars 2025
The microblogging site moved the Karnataka High Court, alleging arbitrary censorship by the central and state governments.
X accused the government of controlling online content without judicial oversight. The lawsuit raises concerns over the central government’s interpretation of Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000.
X maintains these notifications ignore the procedural safeguards set by the Supreme Court under Section 69A, which allows the Central government to order the blocking of content if deemed necessary for sovereignty, security, public order, or to prevent incitement. It argues that Section 79(3)(b) simply allows the government to hold the service providers and social media apps liable to remove unlawful content promptly.
Reports suggest the government orders under Section 79(3)(b) were notifications about illegal content, not direct blocking orders.
X also opposes the government’s centralised ‘Sahyog’ platform for issuing such notices, calling it a ‘censorship portal’. In 2022, X sued the government over blocking orders under Section 69A, claiming that the orders violated the right to free speech.
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