X blocks Reuters accounts in India

X has blocked over 2,000 accounts in India after receiving a government order. Among the "victims" were two Reuters accounts. These were later restored, but there's a mystery. A spokesperson for the Press Information Bureau said no blocking was requested. Elon Musk's company likely made a technical error.

The mystery of the blocked accounts

X said on July 3, the Indian government issued a request to block 2,355 accounts , including those of Reuters ( @Reuters and @ReutersWorld ), under Section 69A of the IT Act. The Ministry of Information Technology (MIT) requested immediate action (within an hour) without providing any justification and imposed the block until further notice.

Elon Musk's company was forced to comply with the order to avoid criminal liability. Following public outcry, the government allowed X to unblock the two Reuters accounts. The conflict between X and the Indian government began in 2021. Elon Musk's company recently filed a complaint accusing it of illegal censorship.

Under Section 69A of the Act, the government can direct providers to block access to certain content in the interest of India's sovereignty, integrity, defense, and security. However, the content published by Reuters that prompted the request for blocking is not known.

Both the Press Information Bureau and the Ministry of Information Technology stated that no blocking order had been issued for Reuters accounts. They were likely blocked in error. X did not provide further clarification on the matter. At this time, the mystery remains unsolved.