X Corp Challenges Karnataka HC Ruling on Govt's Content Blocking Portal
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X Corp has filed an appeal with the Karnataka High Court, disputing a recent ruling that upheld the Union government's authority to issue content blocking directions through the Sahyog portal. The portal automates notices to intermediaries, requiring them to remove unlawful online content. The appeal, filed on November 14, seeks to overturn the September 24 judgment that dismissed X Corp's plea questioning the scope of Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act. The company initially challenged the union government's mandatory direction to social media intermediaries to join the Sahyog portal, arguing that officers of the Central Government do not have independent statutory power to issue blocking orders. Instead, they claimed that such directions should only be issued under the detailed procedural framework prescribed in Section 69A of the IT Act. However, a single judge rejected this contention, stating that the government's use of the Sahyog portal was legally valid and consistent with the scheme of the IT Act. The Union government had argued that X Corp's refusal to join the portal was a deliberate act of non-cooperation, hindering efforts to address threats to public order and national security. As the appeal is yet to be numbered, it will be heard by a division bench once it is assigned a case number. The outcome of this appeal could have significant implications for online content regulation in India.
