NEW DELHI, July 6 — The official X account of international news agency Reuters has been withheld in India, with users encountering a notice stating the action was taken “in response to a legal demand.” However, the Government of India has denied issuing any current directive for such a move and is coordinating with the social media platform to resolve the issue.
“There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters, and we are continuously working with X to resolve the problem,” a government spokesperson said on Saturday, indicating the block may have been based on a misinterpreted or outdated directive.
The development comes weeks after a broad takedown request was issued during Operation Sindoor in early May, targeting several hundred social media accounts for blocking. While some of those accounts were promptly restricted in India, Reuters’ main handle remained unaffected at the time. Sources now say that X appears to have belatedly enforced that earlier request, even though the government believes the order is no longer applicable.
“This seems to be a mistake on their part,” a senior official familiar with the matter said. “An order was issued on May 7, but it was not enforced back then. X has acted on it now, which is unnecessary. We have reached out to the platform to lift the embargo at the earliest.”
In addition to Reuters, the official X accounts of Chinese media outlet Global Times and Turkey’s TRT World have also been withheld again under what X describes as a legal demand. The Indian government maintains there is no current requirement for their restriction either.
Some other foreign media outlets that were previously affected by Operation Sindoor, such as Xinhua News, remain accessible in India. The inconsistent application has raised questions about X’s enforcement protocol and clarity of communication between the platform and Indian authorities.
While the main @Reuters and @ReutersWorld handles remain inaccessible to Indian users, affiliated accounts like Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China are still available.
On its help center page, X notes that “country withheld content” actions are taken in response to legal demands—typically court orders or requirements under local laws. However, the company has not issued a statement clarifying why Reuters’ account was recently blocked.
An email sent to Reuters seeking comment on the development did not receive an immediate response.
As of Saturday evening, efforts were underway to restore access, and officials suggested the block is likely to be reversed soon.
