‘X’s allegations of censorship are groundless’: Centre on Musk’s lawsuit

The Indian government has strongly criticised Elon Musk’s lawsuit for mischaracterising an official government platform as a “censorship portal”, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters. The dispute comes as Musk’s companies, Starlink and Tesla, gear up to launch in India.

“The use of the said terminology by a worldwide portal like X is unfortunate and condemnable,” IT Ministry reportedly stated in court filings on March 27, arguing that X’s allegations of censorship are “groundless”.

X files lawsuit against Centre

X filed a lawsuit in Karnataka’s High Court on March 5, seeking to quash the government’s Sahyog portal, which notifies tech companies about harmful online content. The company claims the initiative expands India’s censorship powers by allowing government officials to bypass judicial oversight and directly order content removals.

Meanwhile, the Indian government insists that the Sahyog portal only serves as a compliance tool, not a censorship mechanism, and that no content is blocked without due process.

India’s IT Act at centre of legal battle

The legal complaint centres around India’s Information Technology Act, which governs online content removal. Traditionally, under Section 69A, content could be blocked only after a judicial review by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

However, X argues that India’s use of Section 79(3)(b) creates a “parallel mechanism” where officials can demand content removal through a simple notification, without judicial scrutiny. The lawsuit argues that this system enables “arbitrary censorship”.

Grok AI adds fuel to the fire

Adding to X’s challenges, Grok, the platform’s AI chatbot, has come under scrutiny in India for allegedly producing controversial and abusive content. The ruling BJP government is reportedly reviewing Grok’s responses for potential violations of India’s IT laws.

Musk’s business interests in India

This legal battle comes at a critical moment for Elon Musk, who has long sought to expand his business empire in India. Tesla has renewed its push to enter the Indian market, while Starlink has signed partnerships with two Indian firms to bring satellite internet to the country.

Musk also met PM Narendra Modi in the US, discussing collaborations in AI, space exploration, and innovation. The Karnataka High Court is set to hear X’s challenge against the Sahyog portal on Thursday, April 3.