X to appeal against Karnataka HC verdict dismissing petition against Govt takedown order

Social media platform X will appeal against the Karnataka High Court’s verdict dismissing its petition challenging the authority of Government officials to issue content takedown orders under the Information Technology Act. Elon Musk-owned X through its official handle said orders issued by police officers to arbitrarily take down content from its platform through a “secretive online portal called the Sahyog” is a violation of Indian citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression.

“X respects and complies with Indian law, but this order fails to address the core constitutional issues in our challenge and is inconsistent with the Bombay High Court’s recent ruling that a similar regime was unconstitutional,” the social media platform said on Monday.