X Corp refuses to join SAHYOG portal, challenging Govt’s content regulation efforts
text_fields
X Corp, which operates the micro-blogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has informed the Delhi High Court that it cannot be forced to participate in the Union government’s SAHYOG portal, asserting that it has its own mechanism to handle legal requests.
The portal, developed to streamline communication between authorised agencies and social media platforms, is designed to automate the process of issuing notices for the removal or disabling of content linked to unlawful activities, but X Corp has argued that it falls outside the statutory framework of Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000.
The company contended that the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Shreya Singal vs. Union of India case establishes procedural safeguards under Section 69A, whereas the SAHYOG portal creates a parallel system lacking such protections.
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) had previously raised concerns over X Corp’s alleged non-compliance with requests for information, particularly regarding content related to child sexual exploitation and abuse, but the company maintained that it could not be compelled to engage with a mechanism that circumvented established legal processes.
Amid these developments, X Corp has also approached the Karnataka High Court, challenging the government’s reliance on Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to mandate content removal while questioning the legitimacy of using the SAHYOG portal for facilitating such directives. The company’s legal representatives have described the system as a means of censorship, arguing that it undermines the procedural framework set by existing legislation.
Meanwhile, the Union government has reportedly been in communication with X Corp over concerns related to its generative AI chatbot, Grok, with officials expressing dissatisfaction over its responses to political queries and explicit prompts.
Authorities have reiterated that the platform must adhere to local regulations regarding content moderation, with possible action being considered against users who generate inappropriate or provocative queries.
While no formal decision has been announced regarding enforcement measures, the ongoing legal battle between X Corp and the government highlights the growing tensions between regulatory authorities and global digital platforms over content control and compliance.