By Key Points
- X Blocks Reuters in India, Then Quickly Restores It.
- Reuters’ accounts on X were briefly blocked in India.
- Users saw a legal notice stating the accounts were withheld.
- Indian government denies issuing any legal demand to X.
- Access was restored within a day after global attention.
X (formerly Twitter) caused an online stir over the weekend after it suddenly blocked Reuters’ main and World News accounts in India. Indian users trying to access @Reuters or @ReutersWorld were greeted with a notice saying the account “has been withheld in IN (India) in response to a legal demand.”
This came as a shock, considering Reuters is one of the most widely trusted global news agencies. With over 25 million followers on the platform, the sudden restriction quickly triggered concern across social media and within the journalist community.
But within 24 hours, the accounts were back online in India, and no one seems to know exactly why they were blocked in the first place.
#Breaking | Govt didn’t ask to block Reuters account, says MEITY source. Many Reuters handles still visible in India — likely a technical glitch or confusion from X’s end.@_pallavighosh shares more details @KaveriGupta3 | #Reuters #Blocked pic.twitter.com/zKyy7p3bcU
— News18 (@CNNnews18) July 6, 2025
If this feels familiar, it’s because we’ve seen similar tech-government clashes before. From Windows’ Blue Screen of Death glitches causing disruptions, to social platforms freezing news sources, tech platforms are becoming battlegrounds for information control.
Conflicting Statements from Reuters, X, and Indian Officials
Reuters confirmed the incident and said they are “working with X to resolve this matter.” They added that back in May, their social team received a vague notification from X, stating that content was being withheld due to an Indian legal request. But that message never clarified which content or which agency made the request.
On the government side, an Indian official told TechCrunch that “there is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle.” The spokesperson added that they’re “continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”
Reuters X Account Withheld in India
India has blocked Reuters’ main X (Twitter) account, citing a legal demand under IT Act Section 69A. No specific reason has been made public, and other Reuters accounts remain accessible. The move raises fresh concerns over press freedom and… pic.twitter.com/nmquZnpaEY— Hook (@hookonline_) July 6, 2025
This raises a big question: if not the Indian government, then who issued the takedown request?
The temporary blackout raises concerns about transparency and the growing number of shadowy requests to social media platforms under the pretense of national law.
X’s Ongoing Battles With Government Censorship
The event fits into a larger pattern of conflict between X and global governments, particularly when it comes to free speech and censorship.
In India, X has repeatedly pushed back against government takedown orders. In March, the company even sued the Indian government, claiming a new government-run website enables “unrestrained censorship of information in India.” X argued that the tool allows virtually any government official to request takedowns, with little oversight.
STORY | Reuters’ X account blocked in India; govt says no legal requirement made
READ: https://t.co/684TPnltwz pic.twitter.com/psMSvcl5vh
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 6, 2025
The Indian government denied this, stating the site only serves to “notify companies about harmful content.”
X’s censorship battles aren’t limited to India. In 2024, it clashed with Brazil’s Supreme Court in a case that saw the platform temporarily banned in Brazil for over a month. That dispute stemmed from X refusing to block certain political content.
These platform dynamics reflect a growing global trend of governments grappling with the unchecked speed of technology. Whether it’s Figma’s AI-powered IPO push or Samsung’s futuristic trifold phone leak, the clash between innovation and regulation is only intensifying.
Adding more complexity to the matter is the recent merger between X and xAI, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture. Many believe this could shift how content moderation is handled on the platform moving forward, especially with AI potentially automating decisions on what users see or don’t.
And this automation isn’t just theoretical. In related news, tech firms are also using AI to support laid-off workers, proving that AI is touching both workforce dynamics and information governance.
With digital ecosystems evolving quickly, the Reuters incident is a reminder that even global news giants can be silenced in seconds — and that access to credible information is no longer guaranteed, even on major platforms.
Just like Honor’s Magic V5 breaking tech records, we’re also seeing new records being set in terms of how fast content can be withheld — and how little we sometimes know about why.
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