Indian Government Temporarily Blocks Reuters Accounts on X
new delhi, donderdag, 10 juli 2025.
Last week, at the request of the Indian government, over 2,300 accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, were blocked for Indian users. Among the blocked accounts were two official accounts of the news agency Reuters. These accounts were eventually reinstated last Sunday. The incident highlights the tension between social media platforms and governments over the control of information dissemination.
Blockade of Over 2,300 Accounts
Last week, at the request of the Indian government, over 2,300 accounts on X, formerly known as Twitter, were blocked for Indian users. Among the blocked accounts were two official accounts of the news agency Reuters. These accounts were eventually reinstated last Sunday [1]. The incident highlights the tension between social media platforms and governments over the control of information dissemination.
Reasons for the Blockade Unclear
The news agency was unable to determine why @Reuters (25 million followers) and @Reutersworld (nearly 800,000 followers) were among the affected accounts. The legislation that allows India to enforce such blockades broadly refers to ‘in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India’ and national security [1].
X’s Response
Platform X states that non-compliance with these requests is not an option due to potential legal liability. X expresses concern over the Indian censorship of the press and claims to have protested to the Indian government [1].
Restoration of the Accounts
The Indian Ministry of Information reportedly asked X to unblock the accounts of news media, stating that it had never specifically ordered their blockade. This action led to the restoration of the Reuters accounts last Sunday [1].
Impact on Press Freedom
India ranks 159th (out of 180 countries) in the annual Press Freedom Index published by press freedom organisation RSF. This incident underscores ongoing concerns about the state of press freedom in the country and the influence governments can have on the dissemination of information via social media [1].