Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) has once again clashed with the Indian government, claiming it was directed to block 2,355 accounts in India on July 3, including those of the international news agency Reuters.
This revelation directly contradicts the statement by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which had earlier said it did not request the withholding of the Reuters account.
X Raises Concern Over Censorship Pressure
The issue adds to the ongoing tension between X and the Indian government over content takedown and censorship. In a post by its Global Government Affairs account, X shared that:
“The Ministry demanded immediate action—within one hour—without justification.”
X further said the government instructed that the accounts remain blocked until further notice.
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Reuters Accounts Temporarily Blocked, Then Unblocked
According to X, accounts like @Reuters and @ReutersWorld were included in the ban list but were later unblocked following public backlash and a government request.
This incident highlights a growing dispute over freedom of speech, press rights, and platform compliance with government directives in India.
This latest episode underscores the delicate balance between regulatory compliance and free expression. With X pushing back publicly, and the government issuing denials, the debate around digital censorship in India is far from over.
