X says India ordered block on 2,000 accounts, including Reuters News
Social media platform X said on Tuesday that the Indian government ordered it to block more than 2,000 accounts last week, including two belonging to Reuters News. The move, described by X as part of "ongoing press censorship" in India, has drawn widespread attention and concern.
The Reuters accounts, @Reuters and @ReutersWorld, were withheld from users in India late Saturday, with a message citing a legal demand. While access to the accounts was restored on Sunday night, the status of the remaining blocked accounts remains unclear.
X claimed that the blocking directive was issued on July 3, 2025, under Section 69A of India's Information Technology Act. The section allows the government to block online content in the interest of national security and sovereignty. Non-compliance, X said, would have exposed the company to criminal liability.
Also read: Reuters account restored in India after X block over legal request
'We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders,' the company stated. 'X is exploring all legal options available.'
Reuters has not been informed of the specific content that prompted the blocking request. A Reuters spokesperson confirmed over the weekend that the agency was working with X to resolve the issue. As of Tuesday, Reuters declined further comment.
India's Press Information Bureau had earlier denied that any government agency ordered the blocking of Reuters accounts. In a statement, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said no fresh blocking order had been issued on July 3. The ministry also said the government did not intend to block Reuters and had asked X to restore access after public outcry.
Read more: Reuters' X account withheld in India on legal demand: reports
"X has unnecessarily exploited technicalities involved around the process and didn't unblock the URLs," the ministry added.
X confirmed that the Indian government later requested restoration of the Reuters accounts, which collectively reach over 25 million followers worldwide.
This is not the first time X has clashed with Indian authorities. In March, the company filed a lawsuit against the federal government over a new portal that X claims expands content takedown powers to "countless" officials. That legal case is ongoing.
India has pushed back, saying X misrepresented the portal by labelling it a "censorship portal," and that the tool is intended solely for notifying tech companies about harmful content online.
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