In a significant development, the Karnataka High Court on September 24, 2025, rejected social media platform X Corp’s legal challenge against the government’s power to issue content takedown orders under the Information Technology Act.
Justice M. Nagaprasanna, leading the Bench, firmly stated that regulating social media is essential, particularly to address issues involving offenses against women.
The court emphasized that without proper regulation, the dignity of citizens, a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution, would be compromised, especially in cases affecting women.
Interestingly, the court pointed out that X Corp complies with similar content takedown mandates in its home country, the United States, where violations are treated as criminal offenses.
However, Justice Nagaprasanna highlighted the inconsistency, stating that the very same platform refuses to adhere to comparable takedown orders in India, which are legally grounded. He concluded that this double standard is unacceptable and therefore, the petition lacked merit and was rejected.