Elon Musk’s X challenges India’s censorship rules under IT act, Sahyog Portal

Elon Musk’s X has filed a legal petition in the Karnataka High Court, challenging the Indian government’s use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act and the Sahyog Portal. X argues that these measures create an unchecked censorship system that bypasses legal safeguards, as reported by Moneycontrol.

X has argued in its petition that the government is wrongly applying Section 79(3)(b) to issue takedown orders without following the procedures outlined under Section 69A. It cited the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, which upheld Section 69A as the only valid legal process for blocking online content.

The petition follows the Central government’s request for X to clarify responses from its AI chatbot, Grok.

According to the report, during the first hearing, the government said that no action has been taken against X for not joining the Sahyog Portal. The court has allowed X to approach it if the government takes any action on the issue.

X Corp has claimed in its petition that the authorities are using Section 79(3)(b) to enforce content takedowns without following the procedures outlined in Section 69A.

The company argues that these procedures—such as giving reasons in writing, allowing a hearing before a decision, and permitting legal challenges—are being bypassed.

X Corp has challenged the Sahyog Portal, claiming it allows state police and government departments to issue takedown requests without following Section 69A’s due process. The company argues that this creates an alternative content regulation framework without oversight. X has also opposed the mandate to appoint a ‘Nodal Officer,’ calling it legally unsupported.