Last month, social media platform X filed a case in Indian court against the government around a platform called Sahyog, a state-owned digital tool. Sahyog automatically sends government notices to intermediaries like X and Facebook, requesting them to review or remove content. The Indian government says the tool is essential to tackle harmful online content. But X has referred to it as a ‘censorship portal’, setting the stage for a legal battle in an Indian court. Foreign and domestic tech firms – as well as freedom of speech activists – will be watching carefully. In the southern state of Karnataka, X was asked via Sahyog to take down ‘hundreds of posts’ which show people dying in a massive crush at a major Hindu religious festival – a request which the platform is now contesting as a threat to freedom of speech. X is taking the Indian government to court to challenge Section 79(3)(b) of the Indian Information Technology Act, 2000, which allows Sahyog to moderate and order the removal of content on social media.
X is taking the Indian government to court over content moderation tools. Expect India to win. (Nayana Prakash, Chatham House)
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