K’taka HC rejects Musk-led X Corp’s challenge to censorship, says regulation for social media must

In a key ruling, the Karnataka High Court sided with the Indian government on Wednesday in its battle with Elon Musk’s X Corp, formerly Twitter. The court backed the Centre’s power to regulate social media content and block harmful posts through the Sahyog Portal, stressing that unchecked free speech can lead to chaos.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna, leading the bench, made it clear: social media needs strong rules, especially to protect women from offenses and uphold their constitutional right to dignity. “The content on social media must be regulated,” the judge said, adding that platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram face similar controls worldwide, including in the US.

X Corp had challenged the government’s actions, calling the Sahyog Portal a “censorship tool” that violates free speech rights. The company argued in its March petition that orders under Section 69A and Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act let officials bypass legal checks to silence critics, including opposition leaders, and threaten its business as a neutral platform.

But the court rejected those claims, ruling that X’s push against the portal lacks merit. It also dismissed the plea declaring that the IT Act doesn’t give the government blocking powers. The bench noted that such regulations help maintain India’s sovereignty, security, and public order while preventing crimes.

This isn’t the first clash. Back in 2022, X lost a similar fight over account blocks under Section 69A, with the same court upholding the government’s authority. During hearings, including one on March 17, the government assured no harsh steps yet against X for skipping the portal. X’s lawyer, senior counsel K.G. Raghavan, fought the case, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Arvind Kamath defended the Centre.

The decision highlights ongoing tensions between social media giants and governments worldwide over balancing free speech with online safety and content moderation.


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