Reuters’ X Account Restored in India After Government Clarifies No Block Order Issued

New Delhi : The official X account of Reuters, the international news agency, was temporarily inaccessible in India starting Saturday, July 5, due to a reported legal demand, according to a notice on the social media platform. The restriction was lifted on Sunday evening following intervention from the Indian government, which clarified it had not issued any directive to block the account.

The sudden unavailability of Reuters’ primary X account, along with its Reuters World handle, sparked speculation about potential censorship. Meanwhile, other affiliated accounts, including Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China, remained accessible to users in India. A message displayed on X indicated that the main account was “withheld in India in response to a legal demand.”

Government sources revealed that a request to block multiple accounts, including Reuters’, had been made during “Operation Sindoor” in May. While many accounts were restricted at the time, Reuters’ handle was not affected then. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) stated on Sunday that no recent order was issued to withhold Reuters’ account. A MeitY spokesperson emphasized, “There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle,” and confirmed ongoing discussions with X to resolve the issue.

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The temporary block prompted the Indian government to seek clarification from X, the platform owned by Elon Musk, formerly known as Twitter. Following these communications, X restored access to Reuters’ account on Sunday evening. The exact reason for the initial restriction and its subsequent reversal remains unclear, as X has not issued a public statement on the matter. A Reuters spokesperson noted that the agency was working with X to resolve the issue and reinstate the account in India as swiftly as possible.
The brief suspension raised concerns among users about freedom of information, given Reuters’ prominence as a global news provider. The restoration of the account has alleviated these worries, with the government’s intervention underscoring its stance that no block was warranted.