Why X Blocked Reuters in India: What Users Need to Know
If you’ve recently tried to access the Reuters account on X (formerly Twitter) from India and found it unavailable, you’re not alone. As of July 6, 2025, both the main Reuters account and the Reuters World account appear to be blocked for users in India. This action has triggered concerns over online censorship, legal transparency, and the growing tensions between tech platforms and governments. With 25 million followers, Reuters is one of the most influential global news outlets—and its sudden disappearance from X’s Indian platform raises critical questions. Why did X block Reuters in India? Was this truly due to a government order, or is something else going on?
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Legal Uncertainty Around X’s Decision to Block Reuters
According to multiple reports, users in India attempting to view @Reuters on X are now greeted with the message that the account "has been withheld in IN (India) in response to a legal demand." That message typically indicates a formal government request. However, in a surprising twist, a spokesperson for the Indian government stated that no agency had made such a request. This contradiction puts the spotlight on X’s content moderation and transparency policies in the country.
Reuters itself responded by saying it is actively working with X to resolve the issue. Interestingly, the news agency had received a prior warning from X back in May about content being withheld at the Indian government’s request, but that notification didn’t identify what content was targeted or which agency had made the request. This lack of clarity further deepens the mystery behind the recent block and highlights a breakdown in communication between the government, X, and major news publishers.
Tensions Between X and India Are Not New
This isn’t the first time that X has clashed with the Indian government. Since being acquired by Elon Musk and merging with his AI venture, xAI, the platform has taken a firmer stance on what it sees as government overreach. In March 2025, X even filed a lawsuit challenging a new Indian government website that it claimed allowed for “unrestrained censorship of information in India.” The platform argued that the website gave too many officials unchecked power to remove content and suspend accounts—without adequate legal justification.
The Indian government, in contrast, has argued that the website is merely a notification tool to flag harmful online content, not an avenue for censorship. This growing standoff has become emblematic of the broader tension between global tech platforms and national governments, particularly when it comes to free speech, misinformation, and political control online.
What This Means for Press Freedom and the Future of X in India
The blocking of Reuters raises bigger questions about digital rights, government accountability, and the power dynamics between Silicon Valley and sovereign states. Reuters is a globally respected journalistic institution, and censoring it—even temporarily—has serious implications for freedom of the press and access to trustworthy information. The fact that X acted without clear, publicly disclosed legal grounds could undermine trust in the platform, especially in a country with over 80 million X users.
This incident also reflects a pattern. X had a similarly contentious relationship with Brazil’s Supreme Court last year, resulting in the platform being temporarily shut down in the country. The India case may follow a similar trajectory if legal and diplomatic tensions escalate. As global tech platforms increasingly operate as gatekeepers of public discourse, their ability—or failure—to resist or comply with opaque legal demands becomes a defining issue for democratic governance and the free press.
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