'Social media must be regulated': Karnataka HC rejects X Corp's challenge to take down orders

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday dismissed the social media platform ‘X’s petition challenging the authority of the government officials to issue a content take-down order under the Information Technology Act.

The bench presided over by Justice M Nagaprasanna maintained that social media needs to be regulated, especially in the cases of offences against women.

“Social media needs to be regulated, and its regulation is a must, more so in cases of offences against women, in particular, failing which the right to dignity, as ordained in the Constitution of a citizen, gets railroaded,” the court maintained.

The court observed that X Corp follows the takedown orders in the United States of America, the birthplace and homeland of ‘X’, as it criminalises its violation.

“But the same petitioner refuses to follow the same on the shores of this nation, of similar takedown orders which are founded upon illegality. This is sans countenance. The petition for all the aforesaid reasons lacking in merit stands rejected,” Justice Nagaprasanna noted.