X Plans to Challenge Karnataka Court Ruling on Sahyog Portal

Social media giant X announced on September 29 that it plans to appeal an Indian court ruling allowing over two million police officers nationwide to issue takedown requests through a secretive online portal called the Sahyog.

The announcement marks X’s first public response since the High Court of Karnataka rejected the company’s petition on September 24. X had challenged India’s content removal mechanisms under Section 79 of the IT Act.

X said it will appeal “to defend free expression,” arguing that the Sahyog portal lets authorities order content removal based solely on allegations of “illegality,” without judicial oversight or due process. Non-compliance could expose platforms to criminal liability, the company added.

X said in the statement that it respects and complies with Indian law, “but this order fails to address the core constitutional issues in our challenge and is inconsistent with the Bombay High Court’s recent ruling that a similar regime was unconstitutional.”

The Karnataka High Court defended the portal, describing it as “an instrument of public good” and a “beacon of cooperation between citizens and intermediaries,” aimed at helping the state combat cybercrime.