Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is taking measures to contest an Indian court ruling that declared it non-compliant with federal government orders to remove certain content.
A report published by Reuters states that the social media company is arguing that this ruling may lead to an escalation of content blocking by the Indian government and could potentially broaden the scope for censorship.
The dispute between X and the Indian government began in July 2022 when the platform sought to overturn government orders demanding the removal of specific content. However, in June 2023, a court rejected X’s request and imposed a fine of Rs 5 million ($60,560).
X has now lodged an appeal against this decision, with a 96-page filing, submitted by local law firm Poovayya & Co at the Karnataka High Court. The filing, dated August 1, expresses the concern that the government’s future actions may result in the issuance of more blocking orders that infringe upon legal rights.
Reuters report points out that the company stresses the need for “discernible parameters” to be established regarding when an entire account is blocked, as opposed to merely removing a specific post.
According to X, without such clarity, the government’s power to censor content in the future remains unrestrained.
It is noteworthy that this legal battle comes at a time Elon Musk is actively pursuing business ventures in India, including discussions for establishing a factory for electric vehicles and seeking market entry for his satellite broadband firm SpaceX, the outcome of this appeal could hold significant implications for his ventures in the country.
Typically, court hearings are scheduled within several days after a filing is submitted.
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In the past, X has been faced with several content takedown demands from Indian authorities, including the removal of accounts supporting an independent Sikh state, posts alleged to spread misinformation about farmer protests, and tweets critical of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The development comes at a time when Musk is taking several steps to overhaul how X (formerly called Twitter) operates as a platform. Musk has recently announced Twitter’s new logo, an X, replacing the distinctive iconic Blue bird logo, marking the latest big change since the billionaire bought the social media platform for $44 billion last year.
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