Free speech at risk? X to challenge Karnataka HC over social media takedown orders

Bengaluru: Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has announced it will appeal against a Karnataka High Court ruling that upheld the Centre’s directions to block certain accounts and posts.

The company said the order is “deeply concerning” and warned it could pave the way for arbitrary censorship by empowering “millions of police officers” to issue takedown directives.

“We are deeply concerned by the recent order from the Karnataka Court in India, which will allow millions of police officers to issue arbitrary takedown orders. We will appeal this order to defend free expression,” X said in a statement.

Last week, the Karnataka High Court dismissed X’s petitions challenging the Centre’s takedown orders, ruling that social media platforms must operate under Indian law and cannot claim immunity.

The bench observed that Article 19 of the Constitution — which guarantees free speech — applies only to Indian citizens and not to foreign companies.

The court also criticised X for refusing to comply with Indian directives while following US laws, stating that “American jurisprudence cannot be transported to Indian judicial thought process.”

It questioned the unchecked influence of algorithms and stressed that “the menace of social media needs to be curbed and regulated.”

The judges further underlined that the 2021 IT Rules must be interpreted in line with the evolving digital ecosystem.

Concluding, the court said, “No social media platform can take exemption from the laws of the land. Indian marketplaces cannot be treated as a playground.”