X Corp (formerly Twitter) to Appeal Karnataka High Court Order on Sahyog Portal
X Corp has announced that it will challenge the Karnataka High Court’s decision upholding the Centre’s Sahyog portal—a government platform used for issuing online content takedown orders.
Last week, Justice M. Nagaprasanna dismissed X’s plea, holding that the company cannot claim protection under Article 19 of the Constitution since it applies only to citizens of India. The Court also criticised X for refusing to follow Indian laws while complying with similar rules in the United States. It added that “social media cannot be left in a state of anarchic freedom” and must be regulated to safeguard dignity and prevent offences, especially against women.
X Corp, however, expressed “deep concern” over the verdict. In a statement, the platform said the Sahyog system allows “millions of police officers” to pass arbitrary takedown orders without judicial review, bypassing Section 69A of the IT Act and the Shreya Singhal judgment. The company argued that this violates due process and undermines the fundamental right to free expression.
X also pointed out that the Bombay High Court had recently struck down a similar system as unconstitutional. It emphasised that, though incorporated abroad, the platform plays a crucial role in public debate in India and must protect the voices of its users.
“We will appeal this order to defend free expression,” the company said. The appeal will now be heard by a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court.
