The Indian government on Sunday denied making any legal request to block the X (formerly Twitter) account of international news agency Reuters in India. The clarification came shortly after the Reuters X handle became inaccessible in the country, displaying a message that it had been withheld "in response to a legal demand."
"There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold the Reuters handle. We are continuously working with 'X' to resolve the problem," the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in a statement.
Earlier, national news agency had reported, citing government sources, that the request to block the account had originated from India during Operation Sindoor. However, officials now assert that no fresh legal request was made and that they have reached out to X for clarification. The government has also urged the platform to revoke the ban immediately.
According to media reports, an order had indeed been issued on May 7 during Operation Sindoor to block several social media accounts, including Reuters. However, Reuters' handle was not blocked at the time. A government source said, "X seems to have enforced that order now, which is a mistake on their part. The government has reached out to X for resolving it at the earliest."
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Despite the main Reuters account and its global handle ‘Reuters World’ being withheld, other affiliated accounts such as Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China remain accessible within India. Users attempting to view Reuters' main handle in India are greeted with a message, "Account withheld. @Reuters has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand." X’s Help Centre states that such messages indicate the platform was compelled to comply with a valid legal request, such as a court order or local law.
The Centre has reiterated that it had not issued any such recent demand and emphasised its commitment to resolving the issue. "There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters and we are continuously working with X to resolve the problem," the spokesperson reaffirmed. Reports suggest the account could be restored soon, as the original request is no longer relevant. The government has requested an explanation from X and asked that the censorship be lifted.
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