The Government of India has clarified that it did not issue any directive to block the X (formerly Twitter) account of international news agency Reuters, after users in India found the handle inaccessible.
"There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters&rsquo; handle. We are actively working with X to resolve this issue," said an official spokesperson.
The block raised concerns over censorship and press freedom, especially after users saw a notice citing a "legal demand" as the reason for the handle being withheld.
Officials revealed that the only reference to Reuters in a previous government order was dated May 7, issued during Operation Sindoor&mdash;a national security response following the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 Indian tourists. While hundreds of accounts were listed for restriction, the Reuters account was never actually meant to be blocked, they clarified.
Sources suggest the Platform X, owned by Elon Musk, may have mistakenly acted on an outdated or misapplied directive.
&ldquo;The matter is irrelevant now. The government has asked X to explain and lift the embargo,&rdquo; a senior official confirmed.
Reuters has not yet released a public statement on the matter. Meanwhile, other Reuters-affiliated accounts&mdash;like Reuters Tech News, Fact Check, Asia, and China&mdash;remain accessible in India.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]

Govt Denies Ordering Reuters X Block, Seeks Clarification

Centre says it didn’t request Reuters’ X block; asks platform to explain and remove restrictions.

Govt Denies Ordering Reuters X Block, Seeks Clarification

Centre says it didn’t request Reuters’ X block; asks platform to explain and remove restrictions.

July 6, 2025 | 20:25 IST