Elon Musk’s X Sues Indian Government Over Takedown Orders

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, challenging its use of takedown orders to remove content.

India ranks among the top five countries globally for government requests to censor social media content.

The lawsuit targets a key legal provision that X claims creates an unlawful mechanism for blocking information without proper safeguards.

The case will be heard in Karnataka on March 27, following an initial hearing that ended without a ruling.

X previously faced a $61,000 fine in 2023 after losing a case over blocking orders tied to criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

An appeal remains pending, with X stating in February 2024 that it continues to notify affected users, despite being legally barred from sharing the orders.