Modi government ordered X to block 2,300 accounts, including Reuters
What's the story
Elon Musk's social media platform X has revealed that the Indian government ordered it to block more than 2,300 accounts on July 3. The list included the official handles of global news agency Reuters. This directive was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act and required immediate compliance without any justification.
Press censorship
X's views on press censorship in India
In its post, X expressed deep concern over the ongoing press censorship in India due to these blocking orders. The company said it is exploring all legal options available, but is restricted by Indian law from challenging these executive orders like users based in India can. "We urge affected users to pursue legal remedies through the courts," it added.
Official denial
MeitY denied blocking order for Reuters
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had earlier denied any such order to block the Reuters account. "There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem," a ministry official said after the accounts were withheld.
Previous incident
X had filed lawsuit against Centre earlier
In early May, X's Global Government Affairs handle was also blocked in India. This was after it revealed that the Centre had issued blocking orders for 8,000 accounts. The account was unblocked a day later. Now, X has filed a lawsuit against the Indian government in Karnataka High Court over previous blocking orders under the IT Act, without adequate safeguards.