Elon Musk’s X Clashes with India in Court Over 'Tom, Dick, and Harry' Takedown Row

Elon Musk’s social media giant X and the Indian government are locked in a heated legal clash after an X lawyer told a court that "every Tom, Dick, and Harry" government official can issue takedown orders, drawing fierce condemnation from New Delhi’s top legal representative.

Content Moderation Battle Escalates

The dramatic exchange unfolded in the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, as X continues its legal challenge against a government-run platform it calls a "censorship portal."
X argues the portal unfairly empowers officials to demand content removals with little oversight. The Indian government insists the site merely ensures social media companies meet their legal "due diligence" obligations.
X Lawyer Sparks Controversy with "Tom, Dick, and Harry" Remark

During the hearing, X's lawyer, K. G. Raghavan, cited a recent case where India’s Railways Department ordered the takedown of a video showing a car on train tracks—a news clip X says shouldn’t be censored.
"This is the danger, my lord, that is done now, if every Tom, Dick, and Harry officer is authorised," he warned the court.

India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta fired back, calling the phrase insulting:
"Officers are not Tom, Dick, or Harry ... they are statutory functionaries. No social media intermediary can expect completely unregulated functioning."

Musk’s High-Stakes India Push

The courtroom clash highlights rising tension between Musk’s X and India’s government over content regulation and censorship.
India remains a crucial growth market for Musk, who is pushing to expand Starlink and Tesla in the country. But X has repeatedly clashed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration over takedown orders and censorship demands.

Ongoing Legal Battle

X, formerly Twitter, famously locked horns with India in 2021 over blocking certain tweets. Though it eventually complied with takedown orders, the company continues to fight the legality of those demands in Indian courts.
Neither India’s IT Ministry nor X responded to fresh queries about Tuesday’s fiery hearing.

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