The Indian government has asked X (formerly Twitter) to restore access to the accounts of Reuters and Reuters World after the news agency was abruptly blocked on the platform last week, triggering public outrage and renewed scrutiny of press freedom in India.
On July 3, users in India trying to visit Reuters’ official handles were met with the message: “@Reuters has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.” X’s Global Government Affairs team later confirmed that the Indian government had ordered the blocking of 2,355 accounts, including that of Reuters, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The order, reportedly issued without any specific justification, gave the platform just one hour to comply and threatened criminal liability for failure to do so.
In a statement, X expressed “deep concern about ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders,” and said it was reviewing legal options. The company also highlighted the difficulty it faces in challenging such directives, unlike individual users who can pursue legal remedies independently.
Following a backlash from the public, journalists, and media organisations, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stepped in and requested the reinstatement of Reuters’ accounts. A ministry spokesperson later claimed that the government had not formally requested the block, hinting that the restriction may have resulted from a “technical issue.” Sources within MeitY echoed this, suggesting the situation was likely due to an error rather than an intentional move to censor.
During the same period, accounts belonging to other international outlets—including Turkey’s TRT World and China’s Global Times News—were also inaccessible in India. All affected handles were restored within 24 hours.
The episode has reignited concern over the opaque nature of government directives to social media companies and the growing tension between state authority and journalistic freedom in the world’s largest democracy.