Deeply concerned: X to appeal High Court order on complying with takedown notices

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Sep 29, 2025: Social media platform X has said it will appeal against a recent order of the Karnataka High Court directing compliance with government takedown notices. The company described the development as deeply concerning and warned that the order would allow a vast number of police officers to issue arbitrary takedown directives.

In its response, X stated, “Deeply concerned by the recent order from 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.”

The Karnataka High Court earlier dismissed petitions filed by X challenging the Centre’s directions to block certain accounts and posts on the platform. The court said regulation of social media was “the need of the hour” and stressed that microblogging platforms cannot be allowed to operate in India without oversight. “Social media companies cannot be allowed to work unregulated in India,” the court said, adding that every company seeking to operate in the country “needs to know this.”

The bench observed that X must comply with the country’s laws and clarified that the constitutional protection of free speech under Article 19 is available only to Indian citizens, not foreign entities. “Article 19 remains the charter of rights for citizens only. The protective embrace of Article 19 cannot be invoked by those who are not citizens,” the court noted.

The bench further remarked, “American jurisprudence cannot be transported to Indian judicial thought process,” criticising the platform for refusing to comply with India’s takedown orders while adhering to United States laws. It also questioned the influence of algorithms, asking, “Algorithms are constantly shaping the flow of information — does the menace of social media need to be curbed and regulated?”

Highlighting the fast-changing digital ecosystem, the court observed that regulation must evolve with technology, noting that the 2021 Information Technology Rules “demand their own interpretative frame.” Concluding its order, the bench said, “No social media platform can take exemption from the laws of the land. Indian marketplaces cannot be treated as a playground.”