Reuters account on X restored in India after brief block over legal demand

The X account of Reuters has been reinstated in India as of Sunday evening, just a day after it faced a temporary suspension due to a legal request. The prominent global news agency, which boasts over 25 million followers, had been inaccessible to users in India since Saturday night. In an email to Reuters’ social media team, X announced, "At this time, we are no longer withholding access in INDIA to your account," but did not provide details regarding the reasons for the initial block or its subsequent reversal. Earlier that day, a spokesperson from India’s Press Information Bureau clarified that no official government directive had been issued to restrict access to the account, indicating that officials were collaborating with X to investigate the situation. A spokesperson for Reuters confirmed the agency's proactive efforts to restore access, stating, "Reuters was working with X to resolve this matter and get the Reuters account reinstated in India as soon as possible." Additionally, the agency's other handle, Reuters World, which had also been blocked, was restored late Sunday. When Indian users attempted to access @Reuters on Saturday, they were met with a message indicating that the account had been withheld in India due to a legal demand. A previous notification from X on May 16 referenced a legal request under India’s Information Technology Act, 2000, which allows content to be restricted if it poses a threat to public order, national security, or violates local laws. However, Reuters could not ascertain whether this earlier email was related to the recent block or identify the government entity behind the takedown request. The email from X did not clarify which specific content led to the action or the precise reason for the suspension. Tensions between X and the Indian government have been mounting, particularly regarding content moderation policies. In March, X even filed a legal challenge against the government, contesting a new official website that grants significant content removal authority to various government officials. The Indian government responded by asserting that X misrepresented the website's purpose, which it claims is meant to inform tech companies about problematic content.