New Censorship Battle: Elon Musk Takes On Indian Govt For 'Blocking Content'

In a move that could complicate his business ambitions in India, tech billionaire Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government over content regulation and censorship of his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, news agency Bloomberg has reported.

New Censorship Battle

The lawsuit, filed this month in Karnataka's high court, challenges what X describes as "arbitrary or erratic takedown notices" issued by New Delhi. The company is asking the court to force the government to follow the country's laws when demanding content removal, the report added.

This comes days after telcos Bharti Airtel and Jio joined hands with Musk-owned Starlink to bring satellite Internet services to India. India's telecommunications minister, notably, acknowledged the need for satellite Internet in rural areas of the country.

Tough Regulations For Social Media, Tech Firms

This legal action highlights growing friction between tech companies and the Centre, which has implemented tough regulations for social media platforms in the past few quarters. These rules include potential jail terms for employees of companies like tech giants Meta and Google who fail to comply with government directives.

Tesla's Debut In Mumbai

Meanwhile, Tesla is preparing to ship several thousand vehicles to a port near Mumbai in the coming months, marking the electric car maker's long-anticipated entry into the Indian market.

The lawsuit comes amid growing US-India tensions, with US President Donald Trump announcing plans to impose reciprocal duties on India beginning April 2, citing concerns about high tariffs on US imports.

Even as India represents a relatively small market for American companies currently, its population of around 700 million smartphone users makes it a crucial growth opportunity for tech firms.

Notably, this isn't the first legal clash between X and Indian government. Earlier in 2023, before Musk acquired the platform (then known as Twitter), the Karnataka High Court fined the company and ordered it to comply with government takedown requests.