IndiaDelhi Police has directed the social media platform X to remove the accounts and specific posts of the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) and the Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC). The police cited alleged defamation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organization of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, as the basis for these takedown orders. The targeted content primarily documented and criticized government-issued internet blocking directives, including those compiled by the account 'Geo Blocked in India.' Following a disputed legal notice purportedly from the RSS demanding compliance, the Special Commissioner of Police filed an illegal content report with X, claiming the organizations' posts violated defamation laws under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The IFF noted that several RSS office bearers publicly denied the authenticity of the initial legal notice and stated that the police report lacked references to any court orders. In response to the police directive, the IFF announced it intends to challenge the takedown orders in court if they are not withdrawn.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the police action as censorship of digital rights groups, highlights the lack of judicial oversight in the police report, and notes RSS denials of the notice, emphasizing state overreach against civil society.
