Published Mar 10, 2026 | 2:13 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 10, 2026 | 2:13 PM
Karnataka High Court.
Synopsis: The Karnataka High Court sought the Union government’s response on an appeal filed by X Corp challenging the Sahyog portal. X Corp told the Court that the Sahyog portal is being used by authorities across the country to issue online content takedown directions outside the statutory blocking process.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, 10 March, sought the Union government’s response on an appeal filed by X Corp (formerly Twitter) challenging the Sahyog portal — an online platform used to issue content takedown orders to online intermediaries like X.
X Corp told the Court that the Sahyog portal is being used by authorities across the country to issue online content takedown directions outside the statutory blocking process.
The notice was issued by a Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakru and Justice CM Poonacha on the appeal by X Corp challenging a verdict of the single-judge, who had upheld the portal’s validity.
The social media platform had earlier announced that it would challenge the Karnataka High Court’s ruling mandating compliance with government takedown requests.
X Corp initially moved the high court challenging the Sahyog portal mechanism on the ground that it circumvents due process requirements under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), and violates safeguards laid down in the Shreya Singhal case, when it comes to regulating or directing the blocking of online content.
On 24 September last year, the high court had rejected petitions from X contesting the Union government’s directives to block specific accounts and posts, stressing that regulating social media was “the need of the hour” and insisting that microblogging platforms cannot operate in India without oversight.
The single-judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna opined that X Corp cannot claim any violation of free speech under Article 19 of the Constitution since the same is available only to Indian citizens.
In its appeal before the Division Bench, X Corp has contended that between January and June 2025, it received 29,118 requests from the Indian government for removal of posts and complied with 26,641 of them, amounting to a 91.49 percent compliance rate, reported Bar and Bench.
The court posted the matter for further hearing on 11 June.
(With inputs from Anisha Reddy.)
