Delhi High Court seeks Centre’s reply on making Elon Musk's X Corp. a mandatory member of Sahyog Portal

The Delhi High Court has requested the Union government to provide clarity on whether X Corp., previously known as Twitter, should be mandated to participate in the Sahyog portal concerning human trafficking, child trafficking, and national security cases. In a ruling dated August 12, Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma ordered the Centre to submit a comprehensive response by September 10. The court's directive specifically addresses X Corp.'s application for exemption from these proceedings and its objection to mandatory involvement with the Sahyog portal, which is managed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The judges stated, "Let the Union of India file its reply to the present application, focusing on whether X Corp. should be an integral part of the Sahyog portal in serious cases involving human trafficking, child trafficking, drug trafficking, and national security matters." X Corp. is contesting the framework of the Sahyog portal, a matter that is also under review by the Karnataka High Court, where a decision is still pending. However, the Delhi High Court noted that there are no legal impediments preventing it from reviewing X Corp.'s case, which is linked to a habeas corpus petition filed by a mother seeking information about her missing 19-year-old son. The bench emphasized that its consideration of X Corp.'s role is crucial for addressing cases of missing children and highlights the necessity for prompt collaboration between law enforcement and social media platforms. The government's counsel pointed out that, despite X Corp.'s reluctance to join, 64 other intermediaries have already complied. The Centre's status report indicated that over 1,100 entities, including major platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Microsoft, have integrated into the system designed for real-time data sharing. Moreover, 33 Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers have also signed up, and all states and Union territories have designated nodal officers to facilitate this initiative. The Sahyog portal aims to enhance the efficiency of sending IT Act notices to intermediaries, thereby enabling quicker action against illegal online content while uniting authorized agencies and platforms on a single interface to ensure timely removal of harmful material. The court plans to resume hearings once the Centre has submitted its response.