Indian Court Dismisses Elon Musk's Challenge to Content Regulations

An Indian court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's social media company, X, challenging the country's content moderation protocols. The legal challenge, which was presented in March at the Karnataka High Court, disputed the regulatory framework set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration.

Senior judge M Nagaprasanna stressed that platforms operating in India must align liberty with responsibility. He emphasized the importance of accountability, ruling the petition lacked substantive merit. A spokesperson for X in India did not comment on the court's decision.

Since 2023, India has intensified its online regulation efforts, permitting more officials to issue takedown orders through a government portal launched in October. Although X argued that these actions stifled free speech, the Indian government has maintained that its policies combat unlawful content and promote online accountability, with support from other tech giants like Meta and Google.