by The IT ministry of India submitted the comments in an undisclosed filing to the Karnataka High Court on August 24th.
The Indian government has recently characterized Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, as a “habitual non-compliant platform” in a legal filing dated August 24, which has been reviewed by Reuters. This revelation comes in the midst of an ongoing legal dispute between X and the Indian government, primarily centered around content removal orders.
In June, Karnataka’s High Court imposed a fine of 5 million rupees ($60,291) on X, citing its failure to comply with several blocking orders without providing satisfactory explanations. Twitter, now X, contested this ruling, expressing concerns that it could lead to increased content blocking and censorship expansion.
Furthermore, X sought the court’s intervention to overturn the fine. However, the Indian IT ministry, in a 28-page filing, argues against X’s plea, contending that the company has undermined the government’s role in a democratic setup. They point out instances where X unblocked accounts ordered to be blocked by the government without its knowledge, emphasizing the platform’s low compliance rate with government requests.
This contentious relationship between India and X stems from 2021 when X refused to block certain accounts related to farmer protests, as directed by the Indian government. Indian authorities have also requested content takedowns related to various issues, including support for an independent Sikh state, alleged misinformation about farmer protests, and criticism of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This legal battle predates Elon Musk’s ownership of X and continues under his leadership, with the platform challenging the June 2022 ruling. The government’s recent court filing argues that X’s attempts to evaluate government orders set a dangerous precedent, potentially allowing all platforms to become the “final arbitrator of lawful orders.”
It’s worth noting that these legal disputes are occurring simultaneously as Elon Musk’s Tesla explores plans to establish an electric vehicle factory in India.
