Elon Musk's social media platform X has initiated legal action against the Indian government, contending that the Ministry of Information Technology has unlawfully broadened its censorship authority, facilitating the removal of online content.
The court document, filed on March 5 and reported by the media on Thursday, claims that the Indian IT Ministry has instructed other government departments to utilize a state-operated website for issuing content-blocking directives.
What prompted Musk's X to sue the Indian government?
X asserts that the website, established by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs last year, lacks the rigorous legal protections that previously restricted content removal orders to high-ranking officials and only in situations considered to jeopardize public order or state sovereignty.
The platform argues that this website establishes "an unacceptable parallel system" that leads to "unrestricted censorship of information in India."
The Indian government has not yet provided a response.
The case was briefly addressed earlier this week in the High Court of Karnataka, but no conclusive ruling was made. The next hearing is scheduled for March 27.
Musk aims to introduce Starlink and Tesla in India.
This lawsuit represents a significant escalation in the ongoing legal conflict between X and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration regarding the regulation of online content. It also coincides with Musk's plans to launch Starlink and Tesla in the Indian market.
Musk has secured agreements with two of India's major telecommunications companies, Jio and Bharti Airtel, to expand Starlink broadband services throughout the nation; however, government approval is still necessary for the rollout.
This situation arises amid threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, who serves as a senior adviser to Musk, regarding the potential imposition of tariffs on Indian imports.
"I believe they will likely reduce those tariffs significantly. However, on April 2, we will impose the same tariffs that they impose on us," Trump stated in an interview with the far-right American news outlet Breitbart, labeling India as "one of the highest tariffing nations in the world."
In 2021, X, previously known as Twitter, found itself in conflict with the Indian government after it declined to follow legal directives to remove specific posts related to the farmers' protests.
