The Union government has informed the Karnataka High Court that social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has no legal grounds to challenge the removal of user content. The government warned that any resistance from X in complying with content takedown orders could result in the platform losing its legal immunity under Indian law.
In a strongly worded affidavit, the Centre emphasized that, according to Indian law, intermediaries like X are not entitled to contest the removal of content in court. The government argued that refusal to comply with such takedown orders would lead to the withdrawal of “safe harbour” protection, which shields platforms from legal liability for user-generated content.
The affidavit further clarified, “Under the Information Technology (IT) Act, intermediaries have no right to contest orders passed by the competent authority under Section 79. Failure to comply will lead to the loss of their safe harbour protection.”
The Union government also accused X of adopting “double standards.” While the platform contests content removal requests in India, it voluntarily removes content based on its internal policies in other contexts, the government pointed out.
This legal clash highlights the growing tensions between tech giants and governments over content regulation, raising questions about platform responsibility and accountability.
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