The X (formerly Twitter) accounts of international news agency Reuters and Reuters World have been blocked in India since Saturday evening, sparking confusion and concern.
Users attempting to access the accounts in India were met with a message stating that the accounts had been “withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.”
However, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has denied any involvement in the blocking.
A ministry spokesperson clarified that no government directive was issued to withhold Reuters’ handles and that officials are “continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”
Sources within the ministry suggested that the move might stem from a technical glitch on X`s end. They also noted that even during sensitive periods, such as Operation Sindoor—a recent high-stakes military operation between India and Pakistan—the government did not include Reuters in any of the more than 8,000 content blocking orders it issued.
Officials believe the platform may have acted on an outdated or unrelated request. The Indian government has since sent a formal communication to X, requesting clarification and urging the company to restore access to the accounts in India.
The incident follows a similar technical anomaly involving YouTube and Instagram, where accounts linked to Pakistani celebrities and news outlets were temporarily unblocked before being re-restricted.
The timing also coincides with an ongoing legal challenge by X in the Karnataka High Court over the government’s content blocking powers, particularly under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act and the use of the Sahyog Portal by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre.
During a recent hearing, X’s counsel criticized the widespread delegation of takedown authority within the government—a comment that drew sharp rebuttal from state representatives. The next hearing is scheduled for July 8.
While the Reuters and Reuters World X accounts remain inaccessible within India, their content continues to be available globally.
Other Reuters-affiliated accounts, including Reuters Tech News, Reuters Asia, and Reuters Business, remain unaffected and accessible in India.
