Elon Musk meets Narendra Modi in Washington, D.C.—amid an escalating legal showdown over India's expanding censorship powers

In a growing standoff with India, Elon Musk’s X has sued the Modi government over an expanding crackdown on online content. The lawsuit follows a surge in takedown orders from Indian authorities, including one over a 2023 post calling a politician "useless."

India launched a government portal, Sahyog, in 2024 to streamline removals, allowing police and agencies to censor content deemed unlawful. X refused to join, calling it a “censorship portal,” and claims the crackdown targets satire, media reports, and criticism of officials.

India defends the system as necessary to curb misinformation and maintain order. The case could reshape internet freedoms in one of X's largest markets.