Social network X on Monday said it would appeal an Indian court ruling that upheld a content takedown system, calling the government-run operation “secretive” and claiming it “has no basis in the law.”
The platform said last week’s decision by the Karnataka High Court lets police issue “arbitrary” content removal orders through the online portal, called Sahyog. The ruling was in response to a petition by X, filed in March, that challenged the government and the system, which the company described in court as a “censorship portal.”
India launched Sahyog (“assistance” in Hindi) in late 2024 to automate content takedowns and allow government agencies to directly order social media platforms to remove content they deem unlawful. Companies including Google, Meta, and ShareChat have joined the portal, but X has so far refused to comply.
The portal “circumvents Section 69A of the IT Act, violates Supreme Court rulings, and infringes Indian citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression,” X’s Global Government Affairs account wrote in a post on Monday.
Section 69A of the IT Act governs how the federal government can order content to be blocked online, and includes procedural safeguards such as written orders and judicial review.
