X challenges Delhi court order to block Hindutva Watch account

The microblogging social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has challenged Delhi High Court order to block 'Hindutva Watch' account.

'Hindutva Watch' is a United States-based 'project' that claims to documents hate crimes against religious minorities in India.

Contesting the Indian government’s directive to block the account, the social media company cited insufficient justification.

In January, the Indian government blocked its X account.

X's affidavit to the Delhi court, dated September 24, said that the government failed to specify reasons for the January blocking order issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

Raqib Hameed Naik, Founder of Hindutva Watch filed a writ petition in Delhi High Court in April and challenged the blocking order. He further requested the findings of the Review Committee, which is mandated to review all blocking orders under the 2009 Blocking Rules.

The development comes at a time when there is an ongoing battle between social media platforms and governments over content moderation and freedom of speech, across countries and not just in India.

X has attacked takedown of accounts requests in Brazil and Australia recently, after authorities demanded the removal of content on the site they deem as illegal or harmful.

In February this year, X's Global Government Affairs account shared that the Indian government has issued executive orders requiring X to act on specific accounts and posts, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment.

"In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts,” it said.

In the past, X also appealed against the Karnataka High Court’s 2023 order imposing a Rs 50 lakh fine on the company for not complying with the emergency blocking orders issued during the 2021 farmers’ protest.