• By Alex David
  • Tue, 08 Jul 2025 06:03 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

In the latest run-in between the Indian government and the social media site X (formerly Twitter), the app disclosed that it was supposed to block 2,355 accounts as of July 3, 2023, with the restriction purportedly imposed based on Section 69A of the IT Act. Included in the banned accounts was that of the international news agency Reuters, which has sparked yet another conversation around internet censorship and government overreach in India.

X vs Indian Government: What Happened?

As per the statement shared via X's Global Government Affairs handle, it was MEITY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) that issued an expedited request for account takedown within a 1 hr window, and no reason was provided. X mentions in their statement that the ministry also gave instructions to leave the blocks until further notice. Failure to comply, claimed the platform, would incur criminal liability in India.

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After the backlash, the Indian government seems to have backtracked and asked X to restore access to the accounts, which included @Reuters and @ReutersWorld. These handles were restored on July 6 after being withheld temporarily in India.

Conflicting Statements from MeitY

Interestingly, MeitY had earlier denied directing X to withhold the Reuters handle. In a statement, the ministry said:

“There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold the Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”

However, this appears to contradict X’s assertion that the takedown was enforced under a government directive.

X’s Legal and Free Speech Concerns

In its public post, X stated:

“We are deeply concerned about ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders and are exploring all legal options.”

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This statement addresses the lack of legal challenge to the restraining orders put forth by the government. According to X, such challenges directly impede India's judicial system.

X, as a company, has previously asserted its position against the Indian censorship order. In March 2024, X countersued the Indian government arguing that the enactment and application of Section 79(3)(b) together with the dispensation through the Sahyog Portal is “an unlawful and unregulated censorship mechanism” absent of statutory bounds. The proceedings remain ongoing before the Karnataka High Court.

Also during 2022, X contested a number of takedown orders issued pursuant to Section 69A, arguing that these orders were issued without adherence to the necessary constitutional protections of freedom of speech and transparency and without regard to procedural fairness.

An Update from Indian Government

On Tuesday, the Indian government clarified that no new orders had been given on July 3 to block global news agency accounts on Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter), including those belonging to international news agencies like Reuters. This statement came shortly after X claimed it had received instructions to block 2,355 accounts in India from international news agencies like Reuters under section 69A of the IT Act.

PTI quoted a government source saying, "An order was issued on May 7 (during Operation Sindoor) but it was not enforced. X seems to have enforced that order now which is a mistake on their part. Government has reached out to X for resolving it at the earliest," PTI quoted a government source as saying.