The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) challenging the authority of government officials to issue content takedown orders under the Information Technology Act.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, presiding over the matter, underscored the need for stricter regulation of online platforms, particularly in cases involving offences against women.
“Social media needs to be regulated, and its regulation is a must, more so in cases of offences against women in particular, failing which the right to dignity, as ordained in the Constitution of a citizen, gets railroaded,” the court observed.
The bench took note of the fact that X Corporation complies with takedown orders in the United States, where violation of such directives is criminalised, but refuses to extend similar compliance in India.
“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,” Justice Nagaprasanna remarked.
Finding no merit in the arguments raised by the platform, the court rejected X’s challenge, reaffirming the validity of the government’s powers under the IT Act to regulate online content.
