The Karnataka High Court has clarified that the government’s Sahyog portal is not an “instrument of censorship,” but a facilitation tool aimed at fostering cooperation between intermediaries (such as social media platforms) and government agencies. Justice M. Nagaprasanna dismissed a petition filed by X Corp challenging the portal.
The court explained that the term “Sahyog” (meaning cooperation) highlights its role as an administrative channel—a digital post office ensuring efficiency and traceability in communications between authorised agencies and intermediaries. It stressed that the power to issue binding blocking orders continues to lie solely under Section 69A of the IT Act and the corresponding blocking rules.
Emphasising that describing Sahyog as a censorship mechanism is misleading, the court noted that such characterisation stemmed from a misunderstanding of its purpose.
The court also addressed concerns regarding the appointment of nodal officers (responsible for receiving and forwarding notices). It held that such appointments are valid and based on statutory provisions under the IT Act and related rules, including Rule 3(1)(d) and office memoranda issued by the Ministry of Electronics & IT.
In conclusion, the High Court held that Sahyog is a constitutionally valid facilitation mechanism and not a means to restrict free speech. The petition challenging the portal was dismissed
