Musk’s X ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Indian Court Takedown, Will Appeal

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Social media platform X announced on Monday that it is “deeply concerned” following an Indian court’s decision to dismiss its challenge against New Delhi’s content removal policies. The company plans to appeal the ruling, aiming to uphold free speech rights within the country.

Owned by Elon Musk, X has been at odds with Indian authorities for several months over their new content moderation system, which the platform criticizes as a form of censorship. The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, contends that the updated system helps curb illegal content and promotes online accountability.

X claims that the new policy “lacks legal standing,” breaches Supreme Court rulings, and infringes on Indians’ fundamental rights to free expression. Musk, who champions absolute free speech, has faced regulatory challenges in multiple nations concerning content removal requests. In India, the lawsuit questions the very foundation of the country’s tightened internet governance.

Since 2023, the Modi administration has intensified online regulation efforts, including empowering more officials to issue content removal orders and allowing direct submissions through a government portal launched in October. Recently, an Indian judge emphasized that all platforms operating within India “must recognize that freedom is linked with responsibility.”

X responded to the court’s decision by stating, “X respects and complies with Indian law… We respectfully disagree with the view that we cannot raise these concerns because our incorporation is outside India…”