No govt directive to block Reuters X account in India: Centre
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New Delhi: The Government of India has clarified that it has not issued any directive to withhold the X account of international news agency Reuters in the country, amid rising concerns over press freedom and digital censorship.
“There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem,” an official spokesperson said on Saturday.
The clarification came after Reuters’ primary X handle was found to be inaccessible to Indian users, with a message displayed stating the account had been withheld "in response to a legal demand." The development drew attention from journalists and media observers, sparking questions about transparency in content moderation and government requests to social media platforms.
Reuters acknowledged the issue and stated it was seeking more information about the reason for the block in India.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that the only request involving Reuters’ X account was made on May 7, in the context of Operation Sindoor — a covert national security operation launched by India following the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 Indian tourists were killed in a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attack. As part of the operation, the government ordered the blocking of several hundred accounts citing national security concerns. However, officials confirmed that no action was implemented on the Reuters handle, despite it being named in the original directive.
A senior official explained that the platform, owned by Elon Musk, may have mistakenly enforced the outdated order. “The issue is not relevant anymore. The government has reached out to X, asking them to explain the blocking and to lift the embargo,” the official said.
As of now, Reuters has not released any public statement on the matter. While both the main Reuters and Reuters World handles appear to be withheld in India, several of its affiliated accounts — such as Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China — continue to remain accessible from within the country.
With IANS inputs
