X: @the_news_21
In a recent development, Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) has made claims that the Indian government issued orders demanding action on specific accounts and posts. The social media giant aired its disagreement with the directive, asserting that posts should not be withheld on the grounds of freedom of expression. However, X stated its intention to comply with the government’s orders despite its objections.
The company revealed these details in a post on X’s Global Government Affairs, posted early on Thursday. According to the post, the Indian government issued executive orders requiring X to take action on certain accounts and posts, under the threat of significant fines and imprisonment for non-compliance.
“We will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts,” the post stated, indicating X’s stance on the matter.
Despite complying with the orders, X disclosed that a petition challenging the government’s directive was still pending. “Consistent with our position, a writ appeal challenging the Indian government’s blocking orders remains pending. We have also provided the impacted users with notice of these actions in accordance with our policies,” the post elaborated.
This isn’t the first instance of X clashing with the Indian government over content censorship. In June of the previous year, the Karnataka High Court dismissed X’s plea against the government’s orders to block certain social media accounts and tweets. Moreover, the high court imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the company for its non-compliance with the Indian government’s orders, underscoring the severity of the situation.
The latest developments underscore the ongoing tensions between social media platforms and governments worldwide regarding content moderation and freedom of expression. As the situation unfolds, the outcome of X’s petition and its implications for online discourse in India remain subjects of keen interest and scrutiny.
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