Elon Musk's 'X' Drags Centre to Court Over Alleged Censorship and IT Act Violations

'X' Claims Authorities Are Using Section 79(3)(b) to Impose Content Removals Without Due Legal Process, Violating Free Speech Protections

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

Social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter), owned by US billionaire Elon Musk, has filed a lawsuit in the Karnataka High Court against the Government of India, challenging what it describes as unlawful content regulation and arbitrary censorship.

The petition, filed by 'X', questions the government's interpretation of Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act. The company contends that the provision is being misused to bypass the legally established procedure under Section 69A, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in the 2015 Shreya Singhal case.

"The government is using Section 79(3)(b) to create an alternative content-blocking mechanism, circumventing the structured legal process set forth under Section 69A," the lawsuit states. "X" argues that such actions not only violate the Supreme Court's directives but also threaten free expression online.