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ETtech Explainer: Differentiating section 69A & 79 amid X row

Economic Times

Economic Times · 5m ago

ETtech Explainer: Differentiating section 69A & 79 amid X row

Sections 69A and 79 of India's IT Act serve distinct functions. Section 69A allows the government to block information access with set procedures, safeguarding against arbitrary use. Section 79 offers intermediaries a 'safe harbour' from liability for third-party content under certain conditions. The controversy arises from claims that the government misuses Section 79 to issue blocking orders, allegedly bypassing Section 69A's safeguards, leading to potential arbitrary censorship, as contended by X Corp in court.

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ETtech Explainer: Behind Elon Musk’s lawsuit against the Indian government

Economic Times

Economic Times · 5m ago

ETtech Explainer: Behind Elon Musk’s lawsuit against the Indian government

Social media platform 'X', owned by Elon Musk, is suing the Indian government, questioning the legality of its content regulation under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. The conflict arose when 'X' refused to join the Sahyog portal for information sharing, unlike other platforms. The government argues that the portal aids in unlawful content removal, but Musk's platform views this as unwarranted censorship that bypasses established legal processes.

Karnataka HC declines relief to X Corp in plea against Centre's Sahyog portal

Economic Times

Economic Times · 4m ago

Karnataka HC declines relief to X Corp in plea against Centre's Sahyog portal

The Karnataka High Court denied X Corp's request for interim relief against India's mandate for onboarding its 'Sahyog' portal, a platform for content-blocking orders. X Corp contends the mechanism lacks legal safeguards of Section 69A of the IT Act and criticizes reliance on Section 79(3)(b). The court noted X Corp can seek protection if action is taken against it, indicating no immediate coercive action is anticipated. The case is adjourned to April 24.

Karnataka HC allows X to amend plea seeking scrapping of content takedown provision - The Economic Times

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1m ago

Karnataka HC allows X to amend plea seeking scrapping of content takedown provision - The Economic Times

The Karnataka High Court has allowed X (formerly Twitter) to amend its petition seeking to scrap Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules, which allows government agencies to order content removal. This rule is challenged as unconstitutional and exceeding the IT Act’s remit. X argues takedown orders should be limited to Section 69A, not Section 79(3)(b). The amended plea targets the government’s Sahyog portal and is set for a final hearing on July 8.

India ordered block on 2,355 X accounts, including Reuters; later reversed it, says X - The Economic Times

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1m ago

India ordered block on 2,355 X accounts, including Reuters; later reversed it, says X - The Economic Times

X (formerly Twitter) was ordered by the Indian government to block over 2,300 accounts, including Reuters' official handles, under Section 69A of the IT Act, without initial justification. After public outcry, the government requested the unblocking of the Reuters accounts. The Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology clarified they issued no directive for withholding Reuters’ accounts and are working with X to resolve the issue.

Govt bypassing safeguards under law to order content takedown: X tells HC - The Economic Times

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1m ago

Govt bypassing safeguards under law to order content takedown: X tells HC - The Economic Times

X Corp, formerly Twitter, claims the Indian government bypasses legal safeguards by exploiting Rule 3(1)(d) and the Sahyog Portal to expedite content takedown notices, challenging the process in the Karnataka High Court. This practice allegedly undermines Section 69A of the IT Act, which mandates a formal review process for blocking content. Media body Digipub supports X's stance, arguing the changes distort the IT Act's original intent. The court hearing is set for July 17.

Govt blocked over 36,800 URLs since 2018, X worst hit

Livemint

Livemint · 1y ago

Govt blocked over 36,800 URLs since 2018, X worst hit

The Indian government has blocked a total of 36,838 URLs in the last five years, according to IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The blocks were made under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, which provides the government with the power to issue such directions in the interest of national security, public order, or friendly relations with foreign states. The highest number of URLs (9,849) were blocked in 2020, while X-Corp (formerly known as Twitter) topped the list with 13,660 blocked URLs between 2018 and October 2023.

Why Elon Musk's X is suing Centre over ‘unlawful’ content blocking using Sahyog Portal

Business Today

Business Today · 5m ago

Why Elon Musk's X is suing Centre over ‘unlawful’ content blocking using Sahyog Portal

X Corp has filed a petition in Karnataka High Court against the Central government's use of Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, alleging misuse for content censorship via the Sahyog Portal. The portal was intended for safer cyberspace and data requests by law enforcement, but raises privacy and misuse concerns. X Corp argues this infringes on constitutional rights, particularly equality and freedom of speech, violating Articles 14 and 19(1)(a).

ETtech Explainer: X, Centre at loggerheads over social media misuse - The Economic Times

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1m ago

ETtech Explainer: X, Centre at loggerheads over social media misuse - The Economic Times

The Indian government and Elon Musk's platform X are in a legal dispute over content-blocking orders, with X claiming these orders harm its business and violate free speech. The government argues for accountability to curb harmful content. The case questions the Information Technology Act's provisions regarding content removal and intermediary "safe harbour." The dispute impacts how social media moderates content in India, potentially leading to revised regulations affecting all platforms, not just X.

Musk’s AI chatbot Grok becomes number one app on US Google Play Store

Economic Times

Economic Times · 5m ago

Musk’s AI chatbot Grok becomes number one app on US Google Play Store

Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, developed by his startup xAI, became the top free app on the US Google Play Store, surpassing TikTok and OpenAI’s ChatGPT in ratings. Grok excels with a 4.9-star rating. Meanwhile, in India, Musk's platform X is contesting the government’s content regulation policies, alleging unconstitutional practices under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. X seeks legal intervention to prevent what it considers "unlawful blocking directives" and opposes joining the Sahyog portal.

ETtech Explainer: Why does X support proposed digital competition law while Meta, Google, Apple oppose it?

Economic Times

Economic Times · 1y ago

ETtech Explainer: Why does X support proposed digital competition law while Meta, Google, Apple oppose it?

Microblogging site X, previously known as Twitter, is the only social media company supporting an ex-ante regulatory framework proposed by the Committee on Digital Competition Law (CDCL). They believe that regulatory institutions should be equipped with skilled academics to monitor technological developments. X also emphasizes the importance of carefully defining Systemically Important Digital Intermediaries (SIDIs) and complying with data protection norms. Unlike other tech giants, X isn't classified as a gatekeeper platform, therefore, the proposed ex-ante restrictions won't significantly impact their business. While X supports the regulation, they also highlight the need to avoid over-regulation that may hinder digital aspirations and innovative growth.

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