Tech
X says will fight Indian court ruling on content takedown system

Social network X on Monday said it would appeal an Indian court ruling that upheld a content takedown system, calling the government-run operation “secretive” and claiming it “has no basis in the law.”
The platform said last week’s decision by the Karnataka High Court lets police issue “arbitrary” content removal orders through the online portal, called Sahyog. The ruling was in response to a petition by X, filed in March, that challenged the government and the system, which the company described in court as a “censorship portal.”
India launched Sahyog (“assistance” in Hindi) in late 2024 to automate content takedowns and allow government agencies to directly order social media platforms to remove content they deem unlawful. Companies including Google, Meta and ShareChat have joined the portal, but X has so far refused to comply.
The portal “circumvents Section 69A of the IT Act, violates Supreme Court rulings, and infringes Indian citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression,” X’s Global Government Affairs account wrote in a post on Monday.
Section 69A of the IT Act governs how the federal government can order content to be blocked online, and includes procedural safeguards such as written orders and judicial review.
“The Sahyog enables officers to order content removal based solely on allegations of ‘illegality,’ without judicial review or due process for the speakers, and threatens platforms with criminal liability for non-compliance,” X wrote.
In its ruling last week, the court rejected X’s “free speech” argument, saying that the social media platform, as a foreign company, does not have the constitutional right to freedom of expression under Indian law.
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“We respectfully disagree with the view that we have no right to raise these concerns because of our incorporation abroad — X contributes significantly to public discourse in India and the voice of our users is at the heart of our platform,” the company said. “We will appeal this order to defend free expression.”
X’s fight with the Indian government comes as Elon Musk works to expand his business footprint in the country. The billionaire recently launched Tesla in India, and secured final regulatory approval to roll out his satellite internet service, Starlink.
Tech
Spotify now lets you exclude tracks from your taste profile, improving recommendations

Spotify on Wednesday announced the launch of a new feature that allows users to take more control over their recommendations. The service will now let users exclude certain tracks from influencing their taste profile. This taste profile refers to streamer’s sense of your personal musical taste and interests, and it drives Spotify’s recommendations, including your Discovery Weekly, Home page selections, annual Wrapped experience, Blend playlists with friends, and more.
The company had previously provided a way for users to exclude certain playlists from their taste profile, but this didn’t solve the overall problem of having music you’re not really into influence Spotify’s recommendations. Rather, the playlist feature was more useful for things like making sure your sleep music didn’t lead to more new age or white noise suggestions.
With this new option, you can move through your recently played items to tell Spotify that there are some songs you were playing but don’t actually like. (Parents everywhere, rejoice!)
To use the feature, both free and premium users can tap the three dots on the top-right corner of their screen after selecting the song they want to exclude. Users can then choose to exclude the song from their taste profile or include a previously excluded song.
Spotify’s hyperpersonalization has been a long-time key selling point for the service. But there are many scenarios where the ingestion of everything you listen to into algorithms doesn’t make sense. Families, particularly those with small children, immediately come to mind. Users also often share their Spotify account while in the car with friends and family, allowing others to take their turn at playing DJ. The growing number of smart speakers in the home has also led some members of the household to become the default Spotify account holder associated with everyone’s taste.
Given the wide range of scenarios, manually excluding tracks is a nice workaround, but it’s not the best solution. Ideally, users would be able to more easily switch between profiles, perhaps even by using voice commands, as you’re often listening while driving. Or the app could offer a way to tap to associate an entire listening session with one family member or the other, instead of forcing you to go through songs one by one.
In any event, the feature will at least offer some recourse for those who have longed to have their Spotify Wrapped not ruined by the kids’ music.
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What founders need to know before choosing their exit at Disrupt 2025

Exit planning is no longer optional — it’s an essential conversation on the Going Public Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Whether you’re already eyeing a liquidity event or just starting to scale, this is your chance to hear what top VCs and operators are looking for and how to set up your company for long-term success.
Three of the best in the business — Roseanne Wincek of Renegade Partners, Jai Das of Sapphire Ventures, and Dan Springer, former CEO of DocuSign and long-time Silicon Valley operator — will break down the decision-making process, from when to make a move to how to be ready when the moment comes.
Why this session belongs on your calendar
Startups can no longer afford to treat exit planning as an afterthought. Between tighter capital markets, shifting investor expectations, and growing regulatory complexity, founders need a smarter playbook — and this conversation delivers just that.
You’ll get real talk on key timing considerations, market signals to watch, and how to structure your business for optionality, whether you’re thinking IPO, acquisition, or just keeping your head down and building. It’s a candid, high-level look at how the best founders are preparing for every possible outcome.
Meet the experts leading this conversation
- Roseanne Wincek is a venture capitalist, early-stage founder, and co-founder of Renegade Partners. A veteran of IVP and Canaan Partners, she’s invested in game-changers like Glossier, MasterClass, Looker, Spekit, and Daily — and brings a sharp lens for what makes companies truly ready for scale and exit.
- Jai Das is co-founder, president, and partner at Sapphire Ventures. He’s led investments in more than a dozen IPOs and two dozen acquisitions, with a deep focus on enterprise tech and AI-driven SaaS. His portfolio includes Netskope, ThoughtSpot, MuleSoft, and CircleCI, among many others.
- Dan Springer is the former CEO of DocuSign, where he scaled the company from startup to global enterprise leader, taking it public in one of the most successful SaaS IPOs of the last decade. He brings unmatched operator perspective on what it takes to navigate the road to liquidity.
Get in the room where high-impact decisions start
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 brings together over 10,000 startup and VC leaders from around the world, and this session is your front-row seat to one of the most important conversations founders will face. Register now to get your pass for Disrupt — with Late Bird savings of up to $444 — and take the guesswork out of your exit strategy.
Tech
Data breach at Canadian airline WestJet affects 1.2M passengers

Canada’s second largest airline WestJet said the personal information of 1.2 million passengers was stolen in a cyberattack and data breach earlier this year.
The airline disclosed the number of affected passengers in a filing with Maine’s attorney general, which confirmed 240 residents in the state were also affected.
According to the notice, the stolen data may include passenger names, dates of birth, postal addresses, and travel documents, including passports and government-issued identity documents, as well as other passenger accommodations, such as requests and complaints.
WestJet said information related to customer rewards may have also been taken, including points balances and other information related to reward accounts.
The Canadian airline giant disclosed a security incident in June after it discovered its systems were breached and it found that hackers had stolen data from its network.
WestJet spokesperson Jennifer Booth did not answer TechCrunch’s questions about the breach when reached by email.
Media reports have linked the WestJet breach to a hacking group known as Scattered Spider, a financially motivated group of mostly English-speaking teenagers and young adults known for calling IT help desks and tricking employees into granting them access to corporate networks.
The FBI and cybersecurity firms earlier this year warned that the hackers were targeting the transportation and aviation industry. Australian airline Qantas was allegedly hacked by the same group, resulting in the theft of more than 6 million customers’ personal information.
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