NEW DELHI: India’s government last week directly ordered X to block more than 2,000 accounts, including two belonging to Reuters News, the social media platform said on Tuesday in a sharp public attack on “ongoing press censorship” in India.
Two Reuters News accounts – @Reuters and @ReutersWorld – were suspended for India users late on Saturday, and displayed a message saying they had been “withheld in IN (India) in response to a legal demand”.
The Reuters accounts were restored on Sunday night but the status of the others was unclear.
X’s statement contradicts comments by a spokesperson for India’s Press Information Bureau at the weekend who said no government agency had required the withholding of Reuters handles.
“On July 3, 2025, the Indian government ordered X to block 2,355 accounts in India, including international news outlets like @Reuters and @ReutersWorld, under Section 69A of the IT Act. Non-compliance risked criminal liability,” X said in its post.
“We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders. X is exploring all legal options available,” it added.
Reuters could not determine what specific content the blocking demand referred to and why its removal was sought.
