Press Freedom or Overreach? X Flags Censorship Concerns After Reuters Accounts Blocked in India

Key Highlights

 

Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) raised alarm over media censorship in India after the government requested it to suspend over 2,300 accounts, including that of foreign news agency Reuters, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The July 3, 2025, order directed that the order be implemented within an hour and that accounts remain suspended until further notice.

 

The block impacted the principal Reuters account as well as Reuters World, both of which Indian users were unable to access on Saturday evening. The move drew widespread public indignation and criticism from media professionals, online rights organizations, and foreign observers viewing it as an assault on media freedom and openness.

 

After the furore, the government of India was reported to have been requested to restore the Reuters accounts by X, which were restored later in the day. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has, however, refuted that new blocking orders had been placed on Reuters, which has led to a public spat between X and government authorities regarding the source and intent of the move.

 

X's Global Government Affairs division was quite distressed about what it termed continued press censorship, further stating that the company is exploring all avenues of law but is bound by Indian law from taking a direct challenge to such executive orders. X has urged affected users to seek remedies in the courts.

 

This event is just one part of a larger trend of government intervention into social media, with earlier orders being issued against news organizations and handles during sensitive operations such as Operation Sindoor. The current impasse is an issue of national security, regulatory power, and the principles of free expression.

 

Sources: Economic Times, India Today, Al Jazeera, Hindustan Times