Social media needs to be regulated: K’taka HC dismisses X Corp's plea against Sahyog portal

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by X Corp challenging the legality of the Union government’s ‘Sahyog’ portal, an online platform used to issue content takedown orders to intermediaries.

In his order, Justice M Nagaprassana said, "The content on social media needs to be regulated and its regulation is a must, more so in cases of offences against women in particular, failing which right to dignity as ordained in the Constitution gets railroaded."

The judge opined that American judicial thought cannot be transplanted into the soil of Indian Constitutional thought.

The court observed that the X corp follows the takedown orders in the United States of America, the birthplace and footland of ‘X' as it criminalises its violation.

“But the same petitioner refuses to follow the same on the shores of this nation of a similar takedown orders which are founded upon illegality. This is sans countenance. The petition for all the aforesaid reasons lacking in merit stands rejected,” Justice Nagaprasanna noted.

The court noted that freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution is not absolute and is subject to reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2).

Stressing that "unregulated speech under the guise of liberty results in lawlessness," the bench said social media platforms cannot claim an "anarchic freedom" in the Indian digital space.

"The petitioner who seeks sanctuary must be a citizen of the nation. Sahyog portal stands as a beacon of cooperation between citizens and intermediaries. Hence, the challenge is without merit," the court remarked.

(With inputs from PTI)