Elon Musk, Karnataka High Court (File pictures)
NEW DELHI: Elon Musk’s X will appeal against the Karnataka High Court’s decision rejecting its plea against mandatory onboarding on the government’s Sahyog portal, the social media platform’s global government affairs team said on Monday.In a statement shared online, X said that the Karnataka High Court’s order threatened free speech and went against Supreme Court rulings in similar cases.It further said that the court’s decision allowed “millions of police officers to issue arbitrary takedown orders” through the Sahyog portal. According to X, the system has “no legal basis,” bypasses Section 69A of the IT Act, and violates citizens’ constitutional right to free expression.”X is deeply concerned by the recent order from the Karnataka court in India, which will allow millions of police officers to issue arbitrary takedown orders through a secretive online portal called the 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 statement read. X argued that Sahyog lets officers demand removal of online content only on claims of “illegality,” without judicial review or due process, and puts platforms at risk of criminal liability if they fail to comply. The company also said the order clashed with a recent Bombay High Court ruling that found a similar regime unconstitutional. “X respects and complies with Indian law,” the team said, but added that the Karnataka order “fails to address core constitutional issues.” The company said it will appeal “to defend free expression.”It further said, “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.”What Karnataka HC said On September 24, Justice Nagaprasanna dismissed X’s plea.The court held that free speech under Article 19(1)(a) is subject to reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2), and warned that “unregulated speech under the guise of liberty results in lawlessness.””Social media must be regulated,” Justice Nagaprasanna said.What is Sahoyag PortalThe ‘Sahyog’ portal has been created to make it easier for the government or its agencies to send notices to social media platforms and other intermediaries under the IT Act, 2000, its website says. Through this, they can quickly order the removal or blocking of any online content linked to unlawful activity. The portal brings all authorised agencies and intermediaries onto one platform to ensure faster action against harmful online content. It aims to make India’s cyberspace safer for citizens.
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