Motorola has filed a lawsuit in India against social media platforms and content creators over posts it alleges are defamatory, raising concerns it could dampen critical coverage of the company, experts say.
The lawsuit, filed in a Bengaluru court and obtained by TechCrunch, names platforms including X, YouTube, and Instagram along with dozens of content creators, and seeks takedown of the content as well as broader restraint on what it describes as false or defamatory material related to the company’s devices.
In its over 60-page filing, Motorola has sought a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from publishing or sharing what it describes as false or defamatory content about its products including reviews, videos, comments, and boycott campaigns.
The complaint cites hundreds of posts across platforms, including videos alleging device issues and phones catching fire. But it is also targeting unfavorable product reviews and user commentary that the company alleges are false or defamatory.
Two content creators named in the suit, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they learned about the case only after receiving an email from X’s support team on Tuesday notifying them that their account had been referenced in the proceedings.
In the email, X said it had received the lawsuit and was informing the user in the interest of transparency, suggesting they could seek legal counsel, contest the case or remove the content.
One of the creators said the post cited in the suit related to an incident they had verified, adding that the company had replaced the device. “Brand is just mentally harassing us, and they want to set an example,” the creator told TechCrunch.
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