X says govt orders threaten free speech: Karnataka HC told

Photo: AP

Elon Musk’s social media platform X (which was earlier called Twitter) told the Karnataka High Court that it is getting many unfair orders to remove posts. X said these orders are coming from “every Tom, Dick and Harry officer” without proper checks. This, X argued, is hurting free speech and the platform’s fairness.

Senior lawyer KG Raghavan, who spoke for X, told the court that under Section 79 of the IT Act, many takedown orders are now coming from junior government officials. He said these orders often do not have proper legal reasons or follow rules. Raghavan called this misuse of power “mischievous.”

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He shared an example where the Railways Ministry ordered removal of a video that showed a woman driving on railway tracks. He explained that the video was important for public awareness. Comparing it to an old saying, he said, “A dog biting a man is not news, but a man biting a dog is.” This means the video was unique and newsworthy.

Raghavan said that blocking such posts without clear reasons is more like censorship and less like fair regulation.

On the other side, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, speaking for the government, objected to the “Tom, Dick and Harry” remark. He said these officers are properly appointed by the government. He also added that no digital platform can work without rules and the government has the right to enforce laws for public good.

Additionally, the Association of Digital Media Houses also spoke in court. They said that when posts are removed, it is the content creators who suffer. They asked the court to ensure that creators get a chance to explain before their content is taken down. They argued that random censorship is dangerous for digital journalism and artistic freedom.

The Karnataka High Court listened to all sides and fixed the next and final hearing of this case for July 8.