X, formerly known as Twitter, has filed a lawsuit against India’s IT Ministry, alleging that it has unlawfully expanded its censorship powers, making it easier to remove online content. The lawsuit, filed on March 5, marks an escalation in the ongoing legal battle between X and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the control of online speech.
The case centers around a government website, launched by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs last year, which allows various government departments to issue content-blocking orders. Social media platforms, including X, are required to participate in this system. X argues that the platform undermines legal safeguards by facilitating unchecked censorship without proper oversight by senior officials or justification based on national security or public order.
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X’s lawsuit seeks to challenge this directive, which it claims violates existing regulations. India’s IT Ministry has referred requests for comment to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has yet to respond.
The case, initially heard by the High Court of Karnataka earlier this week, will resume on March 27. This legal battle follows a prior standoff in 2021, when X refused to comply with government orders to block tweets during the farmers’ protests but later yielded under public pressure.
