Social media platform X confirmed that it is adhering to Indian government orders to block over 8,000 accounts in the country, in compliance with India’s information technology laws.
These orders carry the threat of significant fines and potential jail time for X’s local employees if the company does not comply.
The accounts affected by the blocking orders include those of international news organizations and prominent users. X disclosed that it has started withholding the targeted accounts within India but has criticized the government’s decision, calling the action excessive.
The company stated that “blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, but it also amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech.”
X further revealed that India had not always provided clear reasons for why specific content was deemed to violate local laws. Despite its objections, X stated it had no choice but to comply in order to maintain the platform’s accessibility in India. “This is not an easy decision,” the company added, stressing that keeping the platform accessible was essential for Indian users’ ability to access information.
While the company is exploring all available legal avenues to challenge the orders, it acknowledged that its ability to contest the directive is constrained by Indian law.
X encouraged affected users to seek legal relief independently and confirmed that it had notified all impacted account holders. The platform also called for greater transparency in the process, expressing frustration at being unable to publish the executive orders due to legal restrictions.
“We believe that making these executive orders public is essential for transparency—lack of disclosure discourages accountability and can contribute to arbitrary decision-making,” X stated.
In related news, Pakistani authorities lifted a year-long ban on X on Wednesday, hours after Indian airstrikes targeted several areas in Pakistan. Since the ban was lifted, many users in Pakistan have been actively sharing content to counter Indian propaganda and report on the situation in real-time.
