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Image Caption: The logo of X, previously known as Twitter, showcased on an iPhone in Galway, Ireland on July 24, 2023. — Reuters
On Tuesday, a lawyer representing Elon Musk’s X argued in an Indian court that virtually all government officials had been granted the authority to issue orders for removing online content. This statement sparked a strong response from legal representatives in New Delhi amidst ongoing disputes over content moderation standards.
X has had a contentious relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration due to various requests for content deletion.
During the court proceedings, X’s attorney, K G Raghavan, mentioned that the company had recently received a removal notice from the railways department concerning a video that showed a car driving on railway tracks. Although this was considered newsworthy, the government deemed it illegal, he stated in court.
"This is concerning, Your Honor, if every government employee is empowered to make these decisions," Raghavan expressed to the high court in Karnataka.
This remark drew immediate criticism from India’s Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, who emphasized that “government officials are not just any random people; they are statutory functionaries.”
Mehta added, “No social media intermediary can expect to operate completely without regulation.”
Both India’s IT ministry and X have not yet provided a response to inquiries from Reuters.
In 2021, X, formerly Twitter, found itself at odds with the Indian government over non-compliance with legal directives to block specific tweets. Although the company eventually complied, it continues to face legal challenges related to those actions.
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