Musk’s X says Indian government directed it to block over 2,300 accounts, including Reuters

The social media platform said the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology demanded immediate action — within one hour — without providing justification, and required the accounts to remain blocked until further notice

New Delhi: Elon Musk-owned X on Tuesday said it was directed by the Indian government to block more than 2,300 accounts, including the official handles of global news agency Reuters.

According to the X’s Global Government Affairs handle, on July 3, 2025, the Indian government ordered X to block 2,355 accounts in India, including international news outlets like Reuters and Reuters World, under Section 69A of the IT Act.

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“Non-compliance risked criminal liability. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology demanded immediate action — within one hour — without providing justification, and required the accounts to remain blocked until further notice,” the social media platform claimed.

The government later requested X to unblock Reuters and Reuters World, according to X. “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,” said the social media platform.

The Centre was yet to react to the fresh X claims. Earlier, the government had denied any role in the suspension of Reuters’ X account.

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

This clarification came 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”.

It appears that X may have mistakenly enforced an outdated order. 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, remained accessible within India.