Sat Mar 29 20:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Tech Giant X Sues Indian Government Over Censorship Concerns
**Bengaluru, March 30, 2025** – Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government in the Karnataka High Court, alleging that the government’s new SAHYOG portal facilitates illegal censorship. X claims the portal, developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), allows indiscriminate demands for content takedowns from online platforms by police and other government agencies.
The SAHYOG portal, officially described as automating takedown notices under the IT Act of 2000, was first revealed during a Delhi High Court case involving a missing teenager. While the government argues it’s meant to streamline communication between law enforcement and social media companies for urgent situations, X contends it circumvents established legal procedures.
X argues that the portal’s use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to issue takedown notices is an overreach. The company maintains that such orders should only be issued under Section 69A, which provides safeguards and due process. This view is supported by civil society groups and aligns with the Supreme Court’s 2015 Shreya Singhal judgment.
The government counters that SAHYOG notices are not “blocking orders” and merely inform intermediaries of their due diligence obligations. Non-compliance, they argue, would lead to the removal of legal protection, not direct censorship.
Despite the legal challenges, many social media companies, including those owned by Meta and Google, are reportedly participating in the SAHYOG portal. Concerns remain, however, about the potential for indirect censorship and the lack of incentive for social media companies to defend user content. The case highlights the ongoing tension between government efforts to regulate online content and the rights of social media platforms and their users.
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