Karnataka High Court Ruling on Sahyog

Karnataka High Court Ruling: On September 24, 2025, the Karnataka High Court dismissed a petition by X Corporation against the Indian government's Sahyog portal, citing the need for regulation of social media content.

Sahyog Portal Overview: Launched in October 2024 by the Union Home Ministry, Sahyog is an automated platform for issuing content takedown notices under Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, which provides ‘safe harbour’ protection to internet intermediaries, conditional upon their compliance regarding unlawful content.

Arguments from X Corporation: X argued Sahyog operated as a censorship mechanism, bypassing the more rigorous procedures of Section 69A of the IT Act, which governs content blocking on grounds such as national security. They claimed the portal violates procedural safeguards and previous rulings from the Supreme Court, specifically the 2015 Shreya Singhal case, which asserts a court order is necessary for content removal under Section 79(3)(b).

Government's Defense: The government defended Sahyog as essential for rapid regulation of online content, stating safe harbour is not an absolute right but requires intermediaries to ensure due diligence. It clarified that Sections 79 and 69A function independently and the loss of immunity occurs due to non-compliance with takedown notices.

Court's Conclusion: Justice M Nagaprasanna emphasized the necessity to regulate social media to protect constitutional rights, especially concerning women’s dignity. The court upheld the Sahyog portal's legality, clarified that Article 19 protections do not extend to foreign corporations, and stressed that internet intermediaries must adhere to Indian regulations.

Implications: The ruling sets a precedent for internet intermediaries in India, establishing a legal obligation to comply with the government’s content removal notices or risk losing their safe harbour status.

Key Data:

• Portal Launch: October 2024
• Total Notices Issued: 130 content takedown notices between October 2024 and April 2025.
• Total Intermediaries Onboarded: 65 intermediaries by April 2025.

Legal References:

• Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000: Concerns safe harbor provisions for online intermediaries.
• Section 69A of the IT Act: Governs content blocking based on more stringent criteria.
• Shreya Singhal v Union of India (2015): Supreme Court ruling emphasizing the need for due process in takedown orders.

Citizenship and Rights: The High Court ruled that Article 19, guaranteeing the right to free speech, only applies to Indian citizens, thus X Corporation cannot claim these rights under Indian law.