MHA Issues Notice to X Seeking Removal of Over 1,100 Posts; Company Says It Cannot Delete Them

The Indian government's Ministry of Home Affairs has sent 91 notices to X Corp, requesting the removal of over 1,100 links. These notices have been issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of the Indian government has sent 91 notices to X Corp (formerly Twitter) from March 2024 to date, demanding the removal of over 1,100 links that allegedly violate various provisions of the law.

These notices were issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act. However, X Corp has refused to cooperate with the government.

Demand to Remove 566 URLs Related to Disturbing Public Order

Among the notices sent to X Corp, 566 URLs were related to 'disturbing public order'. Additionally, 124 URLs targeted political and public figures. All of these have been requested for removal.

From March 2024 to November 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs sent 58 notices to X, which included 24 allegations related to disturbing public peace and inciting enmity. Furthermore, 3 other notices were sent considering them a threat to national integrity and sovereignty.

In Which Case Were Which Notices Issued?

The Indian Express reported that out of the 91 notices issued in 20 months, 14 were related to criminal activities such as betting apps, financial fraud, and child exploitation content.

The highest number of posts, 115, were in a single notice issued against X on May 13, related to videos influencing elections.

Moreover, during the Lok Sabha elections (April-May 2024), 761 posts were flagged, of which 198 were in direct violation of the Representation of the People Act.

X Refuses to Remove Links

The Ministry of Home Affairs has now informed the Delhi High Court in its affidavit that the X group is objecting to the unlawful content mentioned in those notices. It is also questioning the authority to issue notices for removing such content under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act.

X Corp states that the process of issuing takedown or blocking orders should be done under Section 69A of the IT Act. This is typically used to issue online censorship directives but is limited to offences related to national security and public order.

X Corp further argues that notices under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act expand the scope of content removal without judicial process, which violates the safe harbour clause for social media platforms. This implies that the government's actions could affect the platforms' freedom.