Elon Musk's X Faces Controversy Over Account Blockade in India

Elon Musk's social media platform X has come under scrutiny after the Indian government ordered the blocking of over 2,300 accounts, including those of Reuters. The directive, issued under Section 69A of the IT Act, has raised concerns about press freedom and censorship in the country. X has expressed its worries regarding ongoing press censorship and is exploring legal options, while the Indian government has denied involvement in the suspension of Reuters' account. This situation highlights the complex relationship between social media platforms and governmental regulations in India.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 8, 2025, 17:37 IST

Government Directives Lead to Account Restrictions

New Delhi: The social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, announced on Tuesday that it was instructed by the Indian government to block over 2,300 accounts, which notably included the official profiles of the global news agency Reuters.

As per X's Global Government Affairs account, on July 3, 2025, the Indian government mandated the blocking of 2,355 accounts within the country, including those of international news organizations like Reuters and ReutersWorld, citing Section 69A of the IT Act.

The platform stated, "Failure to comply could lead to criminal repercussions. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology demanded immediate action—within one hour—without offering any justification, and insisted that the accounts remain blocked until further notice."

Subsequently, the government requested X to lift the restrictions on Reuters and ReutersWorld, according to the platform's statement.

"We are extremely worried about the ongoing censorship of the press in India due to these blocking orders. X is considering all available legal avenues. Unlike users in India, X is limited by Indian law in its capacity to challenge these executive orders legally. We encourage affected users to seek legal recourse through the courts," the platform expressed.

The central government has yet to respond to these recent claims made by X.

Previously, officials from the government denied any involvement in the suspension of Reuters' account on X.

"There is no directive from the Government of India to restrict Reuters' handle. We are actively collaborating with X to resolve this issue," a government representative stated.

This clarification followed the discovery that Reuters' account on X was withheld in India, raising alarms about press freedom and censorship. Users trying to access the account were met with a notice indicating that it had been withheld "in response to a legal demand."

It seems that X may have inadvertently enforced an outdated directive.

Despite the restrictions on the main Reuters account and Reuters World, several related accounts, such as Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China, remained accessible to users in India.