New Delhi: Elon Musk-owned social media platform X has alleged that the Indian government directed it to block more than 2,300 accounts, including those belonging to the international news agency Reuters. The action was reportedly taken under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
According to a post from X’s Global Government Affairs handle, the directive was issued on July 3, 2025. The government allegedly ordered X to restrict access to 2,355 accounts within India, which included Reuters’ official handles — @Reuters and @ReutersWorld — without offering any justification. The order reportedly required immediate compliance within one hour and instructed that the blocks remain in place until further notice.
X complied with the directive but later received a follow-up request from the Indian government to unblock the Reuters accounts. Despite this reversal, X expressed concern about the broader implications for press freedom in the country.
“We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders. X is exploring all legal options available. 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,” the platform said.
The Indian government has not yet officially responded to X’s latest claims. However, in an earlier statement, government officials denied issuing any directive to block Reuters' handle.
"There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters' handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem," a senior official had said, following public outcry over the inaccessibility of the Reuters account.
Users who tried to access the withheld account were shown a notice citing a legal demand. The situation sparked concerns over censorship and press freedom, especially as Reuters’ other affiliated accounts — including Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China — remained accessible in India.
Reports suggest that X may have mistakenly implemented an outdated or incorrectly interpreted order, further complicating the matter.
With IANS inputs