Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 6: The Government of India has clarified that it did not order the blocking of international news agency Reuters’ official X (formerly Twitter) account in the country, following a wave of concern over digital censorship and press freedom.
In an official statement, a government spokesperson said, “There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”
The clarification came after users in India discovered that Reuters’ main X handle had been withheld, with a message indicating that the block was implemented “in response to a legal demand.” The restriction sparked a debate on social media over the extent of government involvement in regulating journalistic content online.
Reuters acknowledged the development and stated that it was actively seeking clarity on why its account was restricted in India.
Sources familiar with the matter revealed that a blocking request related to the Reuters X handle was indeed issued on May 7 as part of a broader national security response during Operation Sindoor—India’s covert mission following the killing of 26 Indian tourists in Pahalgam in a terror attack reportedly backed by Pakistan. At that time, hundreds of social media accounts were flagged for action due to their potential security risk.
However, officials insist that the request to block Reuters was never acted upon. “The government did not implement the blocking of the Reuters handle, even though it appeared in the initial list during Operation Sindoor,” a senior official said.
The situation is now being attributed to a possible error on the part of X. According to officials, the platform—owned by Elon Musk—may have mistakenly applied an outdated government order that is no longer valid.
“This issue is outdated and irrelevant now. The government has contacted X to clarify the situation and asked for the restriction to be lifted,” the official added.
So far, Reuters has not issued any public statement regarding the matter.
Interestingly, while Reuters’ main and global handles appear to be inaccessible in India, several other affiliated accounts—including Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China—remain fully functional and accessible to Indian users.