Social media platform X said on Monday it was "deeply concerned" by an Indian court's decision to reject its challenge to content removal mechanisms put in place by the New Delhi government, and that it would appeal the decision to protect freedom of expression in the country.
X, which is owned by Elon Musk, has been at odds with Indian authorities for months over a new content removal system, which it has likened to censorship. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has argued that the new system is intended to combat the spread of illegal content and ensure accountability on the internet.
According to X, the new mechanism "has no legal basis," contradicts the decisions of the country's highest court, and violates Indians' fundamental rights to freedom of speech and expression.
Musk, who describes himself as an absolute defender of free speech, has clashed with authorities in several countries over compliance and content removal requests, but the company's lawsuit in India targets the very basis of the strictest internet regulation in the world's most populous country.
Modi's government has intensified efforts to control the internet since 2023, allowing many more officials to issue content removal orders and send them directly to technology companies through a website launched in October.
Last week, an Indian judge declared that any platform operating in India "must accept that freedom is linked to responsibility."
In a post, X said: "X respects and enforces Indian law... But we disagree with the view that we have no right to raise these concerns because we are registered abroad..." /Reuters
