Twitter, Now X, Is A 'Habitual Non-Compliant Platform': Modi Government Tells Court

Elon Musk's X has been accused of being a "habitual non-compliant platform" that has consistently failed to remove content as ordered, thereby undermining the government's authority, according to a legal filing reviewed by Reuters.

The Information Technology Ministry made these remarks in a non-public filing on 24 August to the high court in Karnataka.

The court is scheduled to hear a challenge by the social media platform regarding a government fine in the near future.

X, formerly known as Twitter, is currently engaged in a legal battle with present administration. The government alleges that the platform has not been complying with its orders to remove certain content.

The platform was fined Rs 5 million by Karnataka's High Court in June for failing to comply with multiple blocking orders without providing a reasonable explanation.

X has appealed this ruling to a higher bench, expressing concerns that the government may increase content censorship and expand its scope. Additionally, the social media platform has requested the court's intervention to block the imposed fine.

The IT ministry, in its 28-page filing, argued that X's plea should be dismissed, citing the company's disregard for the government's role in a democratic system.

The Ministry also highlighted instances where X had unblocked accounts, which were previously ordered to be blocked by the government, without its knowledge.

According to the filing, X's compliance rates with government requests have been significantly low.

The Ministry emphasised the government's responsibility to ensure that platforms operate in accordance with the law.

India and X have had a strained relationship for several years.

The conflict originated in 2021 when X refused to comply with the government's request to block certain accounts related to farmer protests against the Indian government's policies.

The authorities have also demanded that X remove content, including accounts supporting Khalistani supporters, posts accused of spreading misinformation about the farmers' protests, and tweets criticising the government's handling of the pandemic.

In June, a court ruling went against X in a lawsuit filed by the company in 2022, prior to its acquisition by Elon Musk. This lawsuit contested many of India's orders to remove content.

Since August, under Elon Musk's ownership, X has been actively pursuing a legal challenge against the ruling mentioned earlier.

The government contends in its recent court filing that X's actions are promoting a concerning trend by attempting to evaluate the validity of government orders. If this was permitted, it would grant all platforms the authority to be the ultimate judge of lawful orders.