Musk’s X Challenges Indian Government’s Censorship in Court
Alleges ‘Countless’ Officials Issue Censorship Orders Bypassing Safeguards
March 22, 2025
Photo by Steve Jurvetson, via Wikimedia Commons
Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, alleging that the country’s IT Ministry has overstepped its legal authority by unlawfully expanding censorship powers. The legal dispute centres around new mechanisms introduced by the Indian government that, according to X, allow for more widespread and unregulated content removal from online platforms.
The lawsuit, dated 5 March 2025, alleges that India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has directed various government departments to use a new website, launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs, for issuing content-blocking orders, as reported by Reuters. The website reportedly requires social media companies to participate in the platform, effectively bypassing established legal safeguards in India’s content removal framework.
Prior to this, the Indian legal framework required that takedown orders could only be issued for specific reasons such as a threat to public order, sovereignty, or national security, and these decisions were subject to the oversight of high-ranking officials. X contends that the new system removes these safeguards, enabling “countless” officials to issue censorship orders, potentially leading to unchecked suppression of online speech and creating what X describes as “an impermissible parallel mechanism.”
The company is seeking to have this directive overturned by the courts.
The Indian government has yet to provide a formal response to these allegations. When Reuters sought comment, the IT Ministry redirected the query to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which did not issue a statement.
The case was recently heard briefly in the High Court of Karnataka, but no resolution was reached. The next hearing is scheduled for March 27.
This is not the first time X has clashed with the Indian government.
In 2021, during widespread farmers’ protests against government policies, the platform initially resisted compliance with government orders to block certain tweets but eventually relented after facing strong public criticism from officials.
Posts supporting labour movements or criticising government policies on labour rights have also been flagged. Content critical of government officials has also sometimes been restricted, particularly if it was deemed defamatory or inciting hatred. Further, accounts of journalists, activists and human rights organisations have occasionally been suspended or censored for posting content critical of the government.
However, X continues to legally challenge the government’s approach to content regulation in Indian courts.
The lawsuit also comes at a crucial time for Musk’s business interests in India. Alongside the legal battle, Musk is preparing to launch Starlink, his satellite-based broadband service, and Tesla, his electric car company, in India. Musk has reportedly reached agreements with two major Indian telecommunications providers, Jio and Bharti Airtel, to roll out Starlink, but the service still requires government approval. The ongoing dispute over online censorship could complicate the plans.
The issue also coincides with larger geopolitical tensions involving India and the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump, whom Musk advises, has threatened to impose tariffs on Indian goods unless India reduces its own tariffs on imports. Trump described India as one of the “highest tariffing nations in the world,” and suggested that reciprocal measures would take effect in early April unless progress was made.
