During a meeting in Washington DC in February, Elon Musk gifted India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, and introduced him to his family. Modi described the meeting as “very good.” Modi was in the US to meet President Donald Trump, but also discussed collaboration with Musk in the fields of AI, space exploration, innovation, and sustainable development.
However, almost a month later, Musk’s social media platform X filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, accusing New Delhi of unlawfully censoring online content. This move comes as Musk prepares to launch Starlink and Tesla in India. The question arises: why is X suing India right as Musk is trying to build a relationship with Modi?
Why is X suing the Indian government?
In a lawsuit filed on March 5 in the high court of Karnataka, X alleges that the Indian government is using a parallel mechanism to block online content, bypassing the legal process outlined in the Information Technology Act. The government’s introduction of Section 79 (3)(b) allows for content removal through a notification from a government official, without judicial review. X claims that signing up to the government’s Sahyog portal for content removal would subject it to “arbitrary censorship.”
Legal experts like Apar Gupta have supported X’s claim, stating that the government’s parallel censorship system is illegal. The case is set to be heard in the Karnataka High Court on March 27.
Is controversy over X’s chatbot driving this case?
While MeitY has been in talks with X regarding content generated by its chatbot Grok, the lawsuit predates this issue. Grok has generated controversial content in response to user questions, leading to concerns of digital authoritarianism and self-censorship in India.
Legal experts point out that the lawsuit and Grok’s responses are not directly related, but both involve the government’s role in content regulation.
What does this mean for X users in India?
The outcome of the case could impact X users in India, but it is too early to determine the exact implications. Experts note the ongoing friction between the government and social media platforms over censorship and political reasons. While pushback from platforms can support free expression, transparency in content moderation practices remains a concern.
Will the X lawsuit harm Musk’s prospects in India?
Experts believe that the lawsuit is unlikely to harm Musk’s prospects in India. Despite the legal battle, Musk’s initiatives like Starlink and Tesla are still set to launch in the country.
Michael Kugelman, direktur South Asia Institute di The Wilson Center, sebuah think tank berbasis di Washington, DC, mengatakan kepada Al Jazeera bahwa Musk beroperasi dengan “banyak pengaruh” di India, berkat kekayaannya dan modal investasi yang siap dia gunakan dalam industri-industri berkembang seperti telekomunikasi dan energi terbarukan.
Musk juga telah diangkat oleh Trump untuk memimpin Departemen Efisiensi Pemerintah AS yang baru (DOGE) dan telah mengumumkan pemangkasan drastis terhadap pekerjaan pemerintah federal dan mengklaim telah menemukan miliaran dolar pemborosan dan penipuan dalam pengeluaran pemerintah.
“Kedekatannya dengan Trump meningkatkan pengaruh ini bahkan lebih. Jadi dia memiliki kelonggaran besar untuk melakukan apa yang dia inginkan tanpa risiko mengasingkan New Delhi. Dia dapat menggantungkan Starlink dan Tesla sambil juga bertindak berdasarkan prinsip ‘absolutisme kebebasan berbicara’ di media sosial,” katanya. Dia sudah mencapai kesepakatan dengan perusahaan telekomunikasi di India untuk menyediakan layanan Starlink dan sedang dalam pembicaraan dengan yang lain. Rencana untuk memperkenalkan basis manufaktur Tesla di negara tersebut juga sedang berlangsung.
Serupa, dampak gugatan ini terhadap hubungan AS-India secara keseluruhan akan kecil, katanya. “Dengan semua jalur kerja sama yang terjadi dalam hubungan tersebut, dan dengan semua dukungan yang dinikmatinya, perselisihan ini hanyalah masalah kecil dan bisa jadi gangguan terburuk. Belum lagi, pasar India yang besar sangat menarik untuk ditarik mundur,” tambahnya.
“Jadi tidak peduli bagaimana proses hukum berjalan, X akan ingin tetap bertahan di India. Komitmen untuk tetap tinggal juga dapat membantu menangkal ketegangan bilateral yang mungkin terjadi.”