India restricts content takedown powers following legal spat with Musk’s X
The Indian government has narrowed the number of officials authorized to issue internet content takedown orders, following a high-profile legal dispute with Elon Musk’s social media platform, X.
Previously, thousands of bureaucrats and police officers could request content removal. Under the revised rules, only top bureaucrats at joint secretary level or higher and police officials at deputy inspector general level or above can now issue such orders. The changes take effect November 15, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The move comes after X lost a lawsuit in Karnataka High Court in September challenging India’s broad takedown policy, which the platform said violated free speech. Critics note that the process remains burdensome, with the government retaining hundreds of officials able to act, and the burden of proof still largely on the user.
The new rules also require “reasoned intimation” for each takedown order, detailing the legal basis, the nature of the alleged unlawful act, and the website affected. Orders will now be subject to monthly review by a secretary-level officer, adding a layer of accountability.
Legal experts view the change as a partial rollback of India’s earlier expansive powers, though concerns over free speech and administrative burden persist.
Similar news
