India denies ordering block of Reuters X account, says action likely due to outdated request

The Indian government clarified it did not order the blocking of Reuters’ X account, attributing the restriction to an outdated request linked to Operation Sindoor. Officials have asked X to lift the embargo and explain the inadvertent enforcement.

New Delhi: The Government of India has clarified that it has not issued any order to withhold the X account of the international news agency Reuters in the country.

“There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem,” an official spokesperson said in a statement.

---

This clarification comes after Reuters’ X account was found to be withheld in India, prompting concerns over press freedom and censorship. Users attempting to access the handle were shown a notice stating that the account had been withheld “in response to a legal demand”.

Reuters confirmed the development earlier, saying it was seeking more information on why its handle was blocked in India.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the only request for blocking Reuters’ X account was issued on May 7, during Operation Sindoor launched against Pakistan following the massacre of 26 Indian tourists in Pahalgam in an Islamabad-sponsored terrorist attack. This was a part of a national security exercise.

However, although several hundred accounts were blocked due to national security reasons, no action was implemented to block the Reuters handle on X despite the government order, the official said.

It appears that X, owned by Elon Musk, may have mistakenly enforced the outdated order.

“The issue is not relevant anymore. The government has reached out to X, asking them to explain the blocking and to lift the embargo,” a senior official said.

Reuters has not issued any public statement on the issue.

Despite the block on Reuters’ main and Reuters World handles, several affiliated accounts, including Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China, remain accessible within India.