India has blocked access to several X (formerly Twitter) accounts linked to Chinese and Turkish state-run media, citing their role in spreading misinformation and propaganda against India’s national interests during the recent military operation.
The targeted accounts include those of TRT World, funded by the Turkish government, as well as Global Times and Xinhua, two of China’s most influential state-controlled news outlets. But later, the account of TRT was unblocked.
Embassy rebuke preceded action
The action came in the wake of a direct public warning from the Indian Embassy in Beijing earlier this week. The Embassy had called out Global Times over its reporting on Operation Sindoor, a recent Indian military operation. In a post on X, the Embassy stated: “Dear @globaltimesnews, we would recommend you verify your facts and cross-examine your sources before pushing out this kind of disinformation.”
In a follow-up message, the Embassy clarified that numerous pro-Pakistan social media handles had been circulating unverified and baseless claims about alleged Indian military losses.
“Several pro-Pakistan handles are spreading baseless claims in the context of #OperationSindoor, attempting to mislead the public. When media outlets share such information without verifying sources, it reflects a serious lapse in responsibility and journalistic ethics,” the post read.
Following the action, the official X account of Global Times displayed a message stating: “Account Withheld. @globaltimesnews has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.”
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Government Cracks Down on Disinformation
India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit has also been actively debunking falsehoods circulating online during the period of conflict. Several manipulated visuals and narratives were traced to outdated events or were found to be entirely fabricated. Many of these misleading posts were amplified by foreign outlets or anonymous handles sympathetic to Pakistan.
India’s decision to block the Chinese media accounts also coincided with another diplomatic flashpoint: China’s renewed claim over Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier in the day, India strongly condemned China’s latest attempt to assert territorial claims through the renaming of locations within the northeastern Indian state.
“We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Wednesday.
“Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically. Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” the MEA stated.
China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory, has previously released maps and lists of renamed locations in the region. In 2024, Beijing announced 30 new names for places within Arunachal, a move India categorically rejected at the time.
India’s crackdown on misinformation and foreign propaganda highlights growing sensitivities around digital narratives during military tensions and underscores New Delhi’s efforts to push back against external attempts to influence public perception or undermine national sovereignty.
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