Reuters’ X Account Blocked In India Over Legal Demand, But Government Denies Issuing Any Directive
New Delhi: The official X (formerly Twitter) account of Reuters, a globally renowned news agency, has been blocked in India due to what the platform cites as a “legal demand.” However, the Indian government has denied issuing any such directive and is currently in discussions with X to resolve the matter.
Users attempting to access Reuters’ X profile from within India are shown a message indicating that the account has been withheld in response to legal instructions. Despite this, a government spokesperson shared that no such requirement was made by Indian authorities. “There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters, and we are actively working with X to resolve the problem,” the spokesperson clarified.
Sources familiar with the situation revealed that the blocking might be linked to an earlier action taken during “Operation Sindoor” in May. During that time, hundreds of X accounts were flagged for potential restriction in India. Reuters’ account was reportedly among those listed, though the action was not implemented then.
According to officials, an order dated May 7 under Operation Sindoor included Reuters’ handle but was never enforced. It appears that X may have acted on this previous order now, which the government believes was an error. “X seems to have enforced an outdated order, and we’ve asked them to explain and reverse the block,” said a government source.
The issue is reportedly being treated as a priority, and Reuters’ X account is expected to be restored soon. The government has requested a clarification from X and is coordinating with the platform to lift the restriction. While affiliated X handles such as Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China are accessible in India, both official X account of the global news agency as well as Reuters World handles are inaccessible.