Elon Musk's X Vows Fight After Karnataka HC Upholds Sahyog Portal: 'We'll Appeal To Defend Free Expression'
The legal dispute stems from X Corp’s challenge to directions issued under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, which required the removal of certain posts on the platform.
X Corp, the Elon Musk-owned social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has raised strong objections to a recent Karnataka High Court order, warning that it could open the floodgates to arbitrary censorship. In a statement issued on Monday (September 29, 2025), the company said it was “deeply concerned” about the implications of the ruling, which permits police officers to issue takedown orders via an online system called Sahyog.
“This new regime has no basis in the law, circumvents Section 69A of the IT Act, violates Supreme Court rulings, and infringes Indian citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression,” the platform said.
Court dismisses X Corp’s petition
The legal dispute stems from X Corp’s challenge to directions issued under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, which required the removal of certain posts on the platform. The Karnataka High Court, however, dismissed the petition on September 24, 2025.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, while delivering the verdict, observed: “Content on social media must be regulated, particularly in cases of offences against women, failing which the right to dignity of citizens is undermined.”
The court also upheld the validity of the Sahyog portal, describing it as “an instrument of public good and stands as a beacon of cooperation between the citizen and the intermediary, a mechanism through which the state endeavours to combat the growing menace of cybercrime.”
Platform warns of unchecked powers
X Corp argued that Sahyog allows officers to demand content removal based solely on allegations of illegality, without oversight from the judiciary. “The Sahyog enables officers to order content removal based solely on allegations of ‘illegality,’ without judicial review or due process for the speakers, and threatens platforms with criminal liability for non-compliance,” the company stated.
X further noted that while it respects Indian law, the court’s ruling “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.”
Next step: Appeal
Despite the setback, X Corp has confirmed its intent to continue the legal battle. “We respectfully disagree with the view that we have no right to raise these concerns because of our incorporation abroad — X contributes significantly to public discourse in India and the voice of our users is at the heart of our platform. We will appeal this order to defend free expression,” it said.
The High Court also rejected X’s contention that the orders conflicted with the Supreme Court’s landmark Shreya Singhal judgment, which had upheld Section 69A of the IT Act but with procedural safeguards.
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