Motorola is suing social media platforms and content creators in India over allegedly defamatory posts, raising concerns that critical coverage of the company could be weakened, 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 content removal and broad restrictions on allegedly false or defamatory content related to the company’s devices.
In a more than 60-page application, Motorola seeks a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from publishing or sharing false or defamatory content about its products, including reviews, videos, comments, and boycott campaigns.
The complaint cites hundreds of posts across the platform, including videos alleging device issues and cell phones catching fire. But it also targets unfavorable product reviews and user comments that the company claims are false or defamatory.
Two content creators named in the lawsuit, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they only learned about the incident on Tuesday when they received an email from X’s support team notifying them that their accounts had been mentioned in the legal proceedings.
In an email, X said it had received the lawsuit and, in the interest of transparency, notified users and suggested they consult an attorney, contest the lawsuit, or potentially remove the content.
One of the authors said the post cited in the lawsuit was related to an incident they had confirmed, adding that the company had replaced the device. “Brands are just mentally harassing us and want to set an example,” the creator told TechCrunch.
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“There will be consequences,” they said. “I won’t even focus on the good parts.”
India is Motorola’s second-largest market after the US, accounting for about 21% of global smartphone shipments in 2025, according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC). More than 90% of the company’s devices shipped in India are in the sub-$250 segment, a price point where consumers often rely on online reviews and word-of-mouth, according to IDC data.
Free speech advocates say Motorola’s lawsuit goes too far.
“When a single complaint brings together hundreds of URLs and seeks a blanket injunction against all of them, it breaks down the categories that the law has traditionally kept separate,” said Apal Gupta, a lawyer and founding director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, a New Delhi-based digital rights group. He warned of a broader “chilling effect”, saying many creators may choose to remove their content rather than face the costs and stress of litigation.
“The categories at greatest risk are precisely the ones consumers rely on the most: independent product critiques that hold manufacturers accountable for real safety and quality issues,” he told TechCrunch.
Madhav Sheth, CEO of local smartphone brand Ai+ and former Realme India head, defended tougher measures against what he called misinformation, saying on social media that “free speech is not a license to defamation.” He warned of legal action against “fake news and unverified ‘reveals'” and his comments drew criticism from users online who said they could interfere with legitimate product reviews.
Others in the industry saw it differently. Sunil Raina, managing director of Lava International, said of X: “When faced with criticism, you have two options: intimidate or improve. One is to silence the feedback. The other is to silence the need.”
The incident could signal a broader shift in how brands respond to online criticism in India. The creators quoted above said they expect to see more such legal actions in the future, as evolving rules around online content increase liability for creators and platforms. This trend is reflected in recently proposed changes to India’s IT rules aimed at increasing oversight of online content.
Motorola did not respond to a request for comment. Google, Meta, and X also did not respond.
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