Overview

• Justice M. Nagaprasanna dismissed X Corp’s petition as lacking merit, upholding mandatory onboarding to Sahyog and the use of Section 79(3)(b) read with IT Rules for takedown notices.
• The court said social media must be regulated and cautioned that unrestrained online speech can lead to lawlessness, rejecting claims of an 'anarchic freedom' for platforms.
• It held that Article 19 free‑speech protections are citizen‑centric, so a foreign intermediary like X cannot invoke them to resist domestic takedown directions.
• The bench accepted the Centre’s position that Sahyog is an administrative tool and that intermediaries’ safe‑harbour is conditional on due diligence and compliance with lawful notices.
• The judge noted X complies with takedown laws in the United States but resists similar directions in India, and said the written order will be released on Thursday after the verdict reserved on July 29.