Musk vs. Modi: The Battle for Free Speech in India

The brief post, written in 2023 by an account with just a few hundred followers, called a leading politician from the ruling party “useless.” The police responded swiftly: “This post and its content risk creating serious tensions between community groups,” wrote Police Inspector Jitendra Shahane in a confidential request to have the content removed from the platform.

This post — which remains online — is now part of a legal case between X and the Indian government. The case, which began in March, centers on how far India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his administration can go in controlling the internet and social media.

The Internet Under Pressure

Since 2023, India has broadened the authority of public officials to demand the removal of content from social media platforms. A new governmental tool, Sahyog, allows hundreds of civil servants and police officers to send direct takedown requests to tech companies.

X argues that these actions are both illegal and unconstitutional, as they threaten freedom of speech by granting the government power to suppress criticism of public officials. The Indian government defends its approach, saying the measures are necessary to fight illegal content and ensure accountability online. Several tech giants have so far chosen to comply with the government’s demands — though both Google and Meta have declined to comment on the matter.

A Global Battle for Free Speech

Elon Musk, who has declared himself an unwavering advocate for free speech, has previously clashed with authorities in the United States, Brazil, and Australia. But the case against Modi is even broader. It is not just about individual posts; it goes to the very foundation of internet freedom in India — one of X’s largest markets. “India has more potential than any other large country in the world,” Musk said in 2023. Now, his optimism faces a decisive legal test.

Controversial Censorship Demands

Indian authorities have not only targeted the removal of clear misinformation. Legal documents from the case reveal that the government has also attempted to suppress news coverage of a deadly crowd tragedy and cartoons that mocked Prime Minister Modi and local politicians. Even posts from members of Modi’s own party have been subject to takedown requests, allegedly due to “risks to public safety.”

Our team may have used AI to assist in the creation of this content, which has been reviewed by our editors.