India has criticized Elon Musk’s X for labeling its compliance website a ‘censorship portal.’ This issue arises amid a legal dispute over content removal orders. The Indian government asserts that the website serves to notify tech companies about their obligations without issuing blocking orders, while X argues that India’s censorship powers are unlawfully expanded.
India has formally criticized Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, for deeming an official government website as a “censorship portal.” This website serves to inform tech companies about harmful online content, according to court documents reviewed by Reuters. This dispute reflects escalating tensions between the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and X, particularly as Musk prepares to introduce his ventures, Starlink and Tesla, in India.
The controversy intensified with X’s lawsuit filed on March 5 in Karnataka, aimed at halting the government’s website initiative. In its response, the Indian Ministry of Information Technology expressed disapproval of X’s language, labeling the characterization of the website as “unfortunate and condemnable.” It further argued that X was voicing a baseless concern regarding censorship.
The Indian government contends that the purpose of the new website is merely to expedite the process of notifying tech companies about their responsibilities concerning harmful content, emphasizing that no orders for content blocking have been initiated. In contrast, X claims that the Indian government has unjustly broadened its censorship authority, thereby enabling numerous officials to facilitate the removal of online content via the criticized website.
The escalating legal tensions between India and X highlight significant concerns regarding content regulation on social media platforms. As India strives to enhance its notification process for tech companies, X’s assertions about censorship reflect ongoing conflicts in this digital age. The outcome of this dispute may further influence the landscape of online content governance in India, particularly as more international ventures seek to penetrate the market.
Original Source: www.usnews.com
