Elon Musk’s social media platform X has asked the Karnataka High Court to protect the social media platform against what it described as arbitrary takedown orders issued by “every Tom, Dick, and Harry officer.”
The plea challenges content blocking directives issued by the Indian government under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. X argued that these orders bypass due process and threaten online freedom of speech. The Karnataka High Court has agreed to hear the matter.
Elon Musk’s X Cites Examples
Advocate KG Raghavan, representing X Corp, highlighted a recent takedown order by the Rail Ministry targeting a viral video on X showing a woman driving a car on railway tracks.
Raghavan argued, “A development like a car being driven on railway tracks was news,” but the Rail Ministry labelled it unlawful. He explained, “A dog biting a man is not news, but a man biting a dog surely is,” implying that the video was legitimate newsworthy content, not grounds for censorship.
He described this incident as an example of “mischief” and misuse of powers granted under the IT Act. The X counsel tated that X was seeking protection against such government takedown actions.
Government Objects Elon Musk Owned X’s Plea
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, strongly objected to X’s characterization of the officers involved. He said, “These were government officials,” and rejected the phrase “tom, dick and harry officers” as inappropriate.
Mehta further argued that social media platforms should not expect the digital space to remain completely unregulated, implying that the government’s takedown orders are necessary to maintain oversight.
Karnataka High Court Schedules Final Hearing
The Association of Digital Media Houses has also intervened in the case, moving the Karnataka High Court with a related plea. The group stated that content creators, not just large tech companies, bear the brunt of these takedown orders.
They stressed the need for creators to be heard before their content is removed and warned that arbitrary censorship undermines digital journalism and freedom of expression.
Taking note of all arguments, the Karnataka High Court has scheduled the final hearing of the case for July 8.
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