E-Paper
Meta has not yet been onboarded onto Sahyog Portal: solicitor general Mehta
X has called the platform a “censorship portal” and argued it allows government agencies to bypass established legal safeguards under Section 69A of the IT Act
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, has not yet been onboarded onto the Sahyog Portal, developed to streamline the process of notices to intermediaries for content removal or access blocking, according to solicitor general Tushar Mehta’s written submissions in the X vs Union of India case.
It is the second major tech company after X (formerly Twitter), which has not yet joined the portal. The portal has emerged as a central point of contention in the ongoing X vs Union of India case being heard in the Karnataka high court.
X has called the platform a “censorship portal” and argued that it allows government agencies to bypass established legal safeguards under Section 69A of the IT Act. The government has maintained that it is a necessary tool to respond swiftly to threats related to national security and public order.
The solicitor general’s written submissions, seen by HT, without mentioning Meta or its subsidiaries, say that 38 IT intermediaries have been onboarded on the portal, including major companies, like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Telegram, Apple, Sharechat, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.
“Meta Inc representing Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is getting API based Integration with Sahyog to enable real-time action. The process of API Integration is in the advanced stage and likely by the first week of April, 2025 will be live. With this, Instagram Facebook & Whats App platforms will be onboarded on the Sahyog.”
Meta is testing an API-based integration with the Sahyog Portal, according to people familiar with the matter. One person said that the integration is a work-in-progress, which involves connecting Meta’s back-end systems with the portal, and testing is underway. The process has encountered some technical glitches, which Meta’s team is actively working to resolve, HT has learnt.
The people cited above also said that Meta will comply with takedown notices issued through the Sahyog Portal and cooperate with the government as required.
An official from the home ministry, who did not wish to be named, said, “The [home ministry’s] I4C [Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre] is working on it.”
The solicitor general’s submissions said the portal was developed to ensure authenticity, cooperation, and prompt action between authorities and intermediaries. “Major intermediaries like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and soon Meta are onboarding, with positive reception overall.”
