No Legal Requirement Made To Withhold Reuters’ X Account In India: Govt
In a surprising turn of events, the official X account of international news agency Reuters has been blocked in India, with the platform citing a "legal demand" as the reason behind the restriction. However, the Indian government has distanced itself from the action, claiming it never issued such an order.
“There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold the Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem,” a spokesperson from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said in a statement, attempting to clear the air.
The account restriction, which surfaced over the weekend, has stirred confusion and concern among users and media watchers alike. When attempting to visit Reuters’ official X profile, users in India are now met with a stark message: “Account withheld. @Reuters has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.”
Despite this claim by X — formerly Twitter and now owned by Elon Musk — Indian officials say the legal directive that may have prompted this move was issued months ago during Operation Sindoor, a government-led crackdown on disinformation in May. Sources familiar with the matter revealed that while multiple accounts were flagged for action during that time, Reuters’ main handle was not among those initially enforced.
“It appears X acted on an outdated directive that was never meant to affect Reuters,” said an official source. “An order was issued on May 7, but it wasn’t enforced. X seems to have enforced that order now, which appears to be a mistake on their part. The government has reached out to X to resolve the issue at the earliest.”
The incident raises questions about the internal processes of social media platforms when responding to government orders — and the possible consequences of delayed or misapplied enforcement.
Adding to the confusion, several of Reuters’ affiliated handles — including Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China — remain fully accessible within India. It is only the primary global accounts, including @Reuters and @ReutersWorld, that have been restricted.
Efforts to seek clarification from Reuters have so far been unsuccessful, with an email inquiry going unanswered as of this writing.
According to X’s own policies, content is typically withheld at the country level in response to a “valid legal demand,” which may include court orders or violations of local laws. The platform adds that it strives to balance transparency with compliance when such requests arise.
As the government and X work behind the scenes to lift the restriction, the temporary blackout has sparked fresh debate about digital censorship, transparency in takedown requests, and the role of global platforms in navigating complex legal frameworks across borders.
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