Legal Battle Over IT Act Intensifies Amid Musk’s India Plans
By MYBRANDBOOK
The outcome of the legal dispute between X Corp and the Indian government could have significant implications for the interpretation and application of India's IT regulations, potentially influencing how social media laws are enforced in the future.
The legal confrontation between Elon Musk's X Corp and the Indian government over the Information Technology (IT) Act has intensified, highlighting the complex interplay between India's IT regulations and the operations of global tech companies. This dispute centers on the government's use of Sections 69A and 79 of the IT Act to regulate online content, a matter that has sparked significant controversy within India's social media laws.
X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, has filed a lawsuit in the Karnataka High Court challenging the Indian government's application of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. The company contends that this provision is being misused to create an unlawful parallel content-blocking mechanism, bypassing the structured process established under Section 69A. This, X argues, contradicts the Supreme Court's 2015 ruling in the Shreya Singhal case, which stipulates that content can only be blocked through a court order or the structured process outlined in Section 69A .
Additionally, X Corp seeks judicial protection for its decision not to onboard an employee onto the 'Sahyog' portal, a platform developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to facilitate communication between law enforcement agencies and social media platforms. X has referred to 'Sahyog' as a "censorship portal," a characterization the Indian government has deemed "unfortunate" and "condemnable" .
The Indian government maintains that the 'Sahyog' portal is designed to swiftly inform tech companies about harmful online content, ensuring compliance with due diligence obligations. Officials argue that X Corp's portrayal of the portal as a censorship tool is misleading and undermines efforts to address unlawful content online .
This legal battle unfolds as Elon Musk is actively pursuing the entry of his other ventures, Starlink and Tesla, into the Indian market. Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, has been seeking regulatory approval in India and has recently entered into agreements with major Indian telecom operators, including Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, to facilitate its launch .
Tesla, Musk's electric vehicle company, has also been exploring opportunities in India. However, challenges such as high import tariffs and competition from local manufacturers have posed obstacles to its entry .
The Guardian
India's IT regulations have been a subject of ongoing debate, particularly concerning the balance between ensuring national security and upholding freedom of expression. The government's authority to block online content under the IT Act has raised questions about transparency and accountability, especially in light of the increasing role of social media platforms in public discourse.
BREAKING NEWS
TECHNO TRENDS
Legal Battle Over IT Act Intensifies Amid Musk’s India Plans
The outcome of the legal dispute between X Corp and the Indian government c...
Wipro inks 10-year deal with Phoenix Group's ReAssure UK worth
The agreement, executed through Wipro and its 100% subsidiary,...
Centre announces that DPDP Rules nearing Finalisation by April
The government seeks to refine the rules for robust data protection, ensuri...
Home Ministry cracks down on PoS agents in digital arrest scam
Digital arrest scams are a growing cybercrime where victims are coerced or ...
E-Magazine
TECHNOTAINMENT
Hrithik Roshan to endorse RuPay as Brand Ambassador
RuPay is reportedly planning to feature Bollywood superstar Hrithik Rosha
India Today Group launches – AI Pop Stars
Staying true to our industry leadership position in using cutting-edge tech
MOVERS & SHAKERS
TelioLabs ropes in Phaniraj V A as the Group CEO
TelioLabs has announced the onboarding of Phaniraj V A as its new Group CE
Wipro Appoints Amit Kumar as Managing Partner and Global Head
Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading technology s
OPEN YOUR EYES
INTERVIEWS
Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Carrying a 100 year legacy ahead
A good amount of R&D works and global support services are operated out of
In India, 88% of Indian business leaders are planning to inves
As we move through 2024, it has become increasingly clear that AI is not ju
HOT PICK
MSI Announces the availability of RTX 50 series of laptops in
MSI, the innovative computing manufacturer in gaming, creator
Nothing Phone (3a) goes on sale today, starting at Rs 19,999
The phone was launched on March 4, featuring a 50MP main, ultra-wide, and t
MAKE IN INDIA BRANDS
INFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.
WIPRO LTD.
BEETEL TELETECH LTD.
GLOBUS INFOCOM LTD.
EMINENT CIO'S OF INDIA
ICONS OF INDIA
Icons Of India : Anil Agarwal
Anil Agarwal, the Founder and Chairman of Vedanta Resources Ltd., is r...
ICONS OF INDIA : RITESH AGARWAL
Ritesh Agarwal is an Indian billionaire entrepreneur and the founder a...
ICONS OF INDIA : SOM SATSANGI
With more than three decades in the IT Sector, Som is responsible for ...
PARTNER SPEAKERS
PSU
UIDAI - Unique Identification Authority of India
UIDAI and the Aadhaar system represent a significant milestone in Indi...
PFC - Power Finance Corporation Ltd
PFC is a leading financial institution in India specializing in power ...
NSE - National Stock Exchange
NSE is the leading stock exchange in India....
VIDEOS
Top 25 Brands
Global Indian industry
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Aman Bhutani, CEO, GoDaddy
Aman Bhutani, the self-taught techie and CEO of GoDaddy, oversees a co...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Thomas Kurian, CEO- Google Cloud
Thomas Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud, has been instrumental in expan...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Sundar Pichai, CEO- Alphabet Inc.
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc.,...
ITFORUM 2025
CMO of the Year
WOMEN LEADERSHIP
IMAGE GALLERY
TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY
MORE VIDEOS
ADVERTISEMENTS
TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTION
UNICORNS REVOLUTIONISING
of images belongs to the respective copyright holders
