The Centre on Sunday denied issuing any legal request to microblogging platform X to block the handle of international news agency Reuters in India. This clarification came just hours after Reuters’s X handle displayed a message stating it had been blocked "in response to a legal demand."
"There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold the Reuters handle. We are continuously working with 'X' to resolve the problem," said the Official Spokesperson, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Govt seeks an explanation from X
After the ban, Indian government officials denied issuing any new legal requests and, according to news agency PTI, have asked X for an explanation regarding the timing of the account's blocking. They have also requested the platform to lift the ban on Reuters's handle.
"An order was issued on May 7 (during Operation Sindoor) but it was not enforced. X seems to have enforced that order now which is a mistake on their part. Government has reached out to X for resolving it at the earliest," an official source said An email sent to Reuters seeking comments did not elicit a response.
Reuters X account withheld in India
The official X handle of the international news agency Reuters has been withheld in India. Users who were trying to access the handle @Reuters saw a message stating, "@Reuters has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand."
As of 11:40 pm on Saturday, the X account of Reuters World was also inaccessible. The reason behind the blocking of these two accounts remains unclear. Notably, while the main @Reuters X account is blocked in India, several affiliated handles, such as Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Pictures, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China, are still accessible.
On its help centre page, X explains that such messages "about country withheld content" mean X was compelled to withhold the entire account specified or posts in response to a valid legal demand, such as a court order or local laws.
Reuters has yet to issue a statement regarding the blocking of its main X account in India.
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