NEW DELHI— Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter) said Tuesday that the Indian government directed it to block more than 2,300 accounts, including official handles belonging to international news agency Reuters.
According to a post from X’s Global Government Affairs account, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued an order on July 3, 2025, instructing the platform to block 2,355 accounts under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The list reportedly included @Reuters and @ReutersWorld.
“Non-compliance risked criminal liability,” X said. “The Ministry demanded immediate action—within one hour—without providing justification, and required the accounts to remain blocked until further notice.”
X later stated that the government asked the platform to restore access to Reuters and ReutersWorld, but expressed concern about what it called “ongoing press censorship in India.”
“We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders. X is exploring all legal options available,” the platform said in a statement. “Unlike users located in India, X is restricted by Indian law in its ability to bring legal challenges against these executive orders. We urge affected users to pursue legal remedies through the courts.”
As of Tuesday, the Indian government had not officially responded to X’s latest claims.
Earlier, government officials had denied any role in the suspension of Reuters’ X account, stating, “There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters’ handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”
This clarification followed user reports that the Reuters account was inaccessible within India. Attempts to view the handle showed a notice stating it had been withheld “in response to a legal demand,” raising concerns over press freedom and digital censorship.
It is possible that X may have mistakenly enforced an outdated government order.
Despite the block on Reuters’ main accounts, several affiliated handles—such as Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China—remained accessible in India. (Source: IANS)
