Motorola is suing social media and creators over posts, raising concerns about speech in India

Motorola has filed a lawsuit in India against social media and content creators over allegedly defamatory posts, raising concerns that it could undermine critical coverage of the company, experts said.

The lawsuit, filed in a Bengaluru court and obtained by TechCrunch, names platforms including X, YouTube, and Instagram as well as dozens of content creators, and seeks a takedown of the content and a broad ban on what it describes as false or defamatory related to the company’s devices.

In its more than 60-page filing, Motorola sought an injunction barring 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 lists hundreds of posts across platforms, including videos alleging device problems and phones catching fire. But it also targets unfavorable product reviews and user comments that the company says are false or defamatory.

The two content creators named in the case, who did not want to be identified, said they learned about the case after receiving an email from X’s support team on Tuesday informing them that their account had been cited in the proceedings.

In the email, X said he had received the lawsuit and informed the user of the transparency, suggesting they could seek a lawyer, dispute the lawsuit or remove the content.

One of the creators said that the text quoted in the suit is related to the incident they confirmed, adding that the company has changed the machine. “The brand is just psychologically torturing us, and they want to make an example,” the creator told TechCrunch.

“It will have an impact,” they said. “I’ll stop covering the good parts too.”

India is Motorola’s second largest market after the US, accounting for about 21% of its global smartphone shipments by 2025, according to data from the International Data Corporation. More than 90% of its devices shipped in India were in the sub-$250 category, IDC data showed — a price band where consumers tend to rely on online reviews and word of mouth.

Free speech advocates argue that Motorola’s appeal is too far-reaching.

“When a single complaint includes hundreds of URLs and we seek an injunction against all of them, we are breaking down the categories that the law has kept separate,” said Apar Gupta, a lawyer and founding director of the New Delhi-based digital rights group, the Internet Freedom Foundation. He warned of a wider “chilling effect”, saying many creators may choose to take down content rather than face the costs and pressure of litigation.

“The most vulnerable category is the very one consumers depend on the most: independent product criticism that holds manufacturers accountable for real safety and quality issues,” he told TechCrunch.

Madhav Sheth, CEO of local smartphone brand Ai+ and former head of Realme India, defended the tough measures against what he described as inaccuracies, saying on social media that “freedom of expression is not a license to defame.” He warned of legal action against “false news or unverified ‘disclosures’.” His comments drew criticism online from users who said they would discourage legitimate product reviews.

Others in the industry took a different view. Sunil Raina, managing director of Lava International, told X: “When you are criticized, you have two choices: to intimidate or to improve. One is to shut down the response.

The case could signal a broader shift in how brands respond to online criticism in India. The creator noted above said they expect more legal action in the future, as changing laws around online content increase the legal liability of creators and platforms – a trend seen in recently proposed changes to India’s IT laws aimed at strengthening oversight of online content.

Motorola did not respond to a request for comment. Google, Meta, and X also did not respond.