X, formerly known as Twitter, said it was directed by the Indian government to block more than 2,300 accounts, including those belonging to global news agency Reuters, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
The company claimed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) demanded immediate compliance without providing justification and required the blocks to remain in place until further notice.
The directive was issued on 3 July, according to a post by X’s Global Government Affairs team. It stated the government had ordered the blocking of 2,355 accounts in India, including @Reuters and @ReutersWorld. X said non-compliance could have resulted in criminal liability. The two Reuters handles were reportedly withheld from Indian audiences on Sunday “in response to a legal demand” and were reinstated later that same day.
Following public backlash, X said the Indian government subsequently requested the unblocking of the Reuters accounts. “After public outcry, the government requested X to unblock @Reuters and @ReutersWorld,” the platform said in the statement.
However, MeitY denied issuing such instructions. “There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold the Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem,” an official spokesperson said.
X expressed alarm over what it called increasing press censorship in India and confirmed it is exploring all legal options.
“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 statement read.
This is not the first time X has faced such restrictions in India. In early May, the handle of X’s Global Government Affairs team was blocked in India and later restored, a day after the platform disclosed that the government had issued blocking orders targeting around 8,000 accounts.
X is currently pursuing legal action against the Indian government in the Karnataka High Court, challenging previous blocking orders issued under the IT Act, 2000. The platform argues that such directives lack adequate legal safeguards. A hearing in the matter was held on Tuesday.
X has also filed a plea to amend its existing petition to challenge Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. This provision empowers the government to direct online intermediaries to remove content.
The company’s original petition, filed in March, had sought a declaration that Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act does not authorise the government to issue blocking orders against intermediaries like X.
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