Elon Musk-Owned X Sues Indian Govt, Alleges Centre 'Misuses IT Act To Impose Censorship'

Elon Musk-led social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court, challenging the Indian government’s use of Section 79(3) of the Information Technology Act.

According to a Hindustan Times report, X argued that this provision is being misused to create an unlawful parallel content-blocking system, bypassing the structured process outlined in Section 69A of the IT Act.

The platform contended that this approach contradicts the Supreme Court’s 2015 Shreya Singhal ruling, which upheld that content removal must follow due legal procedure. Under Section 79(3)(b), intermediaries lose "safe harbour" protections if they fail to take down content upon government directives. X’s petition challenges this interpretation, asserting that it undermines legal safeguards for online platforms.

X Challenges Alleged Government Overreach & Online Censorship

X claimed that the Modi government is misusing Section 79(3)(b) to bypass Section 69A safeguards and arbitrarily censor content. The platform has also sought court protection against pressure to onboard an employee on the Sahyog portal, which allows state authorities to issue takedown orders without following legal procedures.

Calling it a "Censorship Portal," X argued the government lacks legal authority to create it. The company warned that such actions could lead to widespread, unchecked censorship in India.

Indian Govt Scrutinises Grok Over Abusive Language

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is reportedly in discussions with X following complaints about its AI chatbot, Grok, using Hindi slangs and abusive language.

According to a report by PTI, the ministry is investigating the factors behind Grok’s controversial responses. The chatbot recently drew attention for generating opinionated replies on topics like politics, cinema, and celebrities, sometimes incorporating regional slang and offensive language. The inquiry aims to determine how and why these responses were generated.

Published on: Thursday, March 20, 2025, 03:33 PM IST