India, Sept. 29 -- Social networking and microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) has expressed "deep concern" over the Karnataka high court's September 24 order upholding the government's Sahyog Portal, calling it a blow to free expression in India, and confirming that it will challenge the order.

In a post from its global government affairs account, X said it was "deeply concerned" about the court's ruling, which dismissed its petition challenging the portal. The company argued that the Sahyog Portal system "allows millions of police officers to issue arbitrary takedown orders" through a "secretive online portal" without judicial oversight or due process.

X maintained that the order "has no basis in law, circumvents Section 69A of the ...