Indian users were briefly unable to access Reuters’ official X accounts this weekend — and no one seems to know exactly why.
On Saturday evening, users in India trying to view Reuters’ main X account (@Reuters) and its international account (@ReutersWorld) were met with a surprising message:
“This account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.”
The accounts, followed by millions around the world, were suddenly inaccessible across the country. Less than 24 hours later, access was restored — but questions still linger.
Government Says It Didn’t Ask for the Block
Shortly after the restriction appeared, confusion spread online. Was this a government-ordered takedown? Or a mistake by the platform?
India’s government said it wasn’t behind the move.
“There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle,” a government spokesperson told TechCrunch.
“We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”
Reuters Responds
Reuters confirmed the issue and said it was working directly with X (formerly Twitter) to find out what happened. A company spokesperson didn’t share additional details but said their team was trying to sort it out.
Interestingly, Reuters also revealed that back in May, its social team received a notice from X. That message said some content was being withheld in India due to a government request — but it didn’t mention which content or what agency made the request.
X’s Ongoing Tensions with Governments
This isn’t the first time X, now part of Elon Musk’s growing tech empire (via its recent merger with xAI), has found itself at odds with global governments.
Past Clashes:
- India: Earlier this year, X filed a lawsuit challenging what it called “unrestrained censorship” via a government-run website. Musk’s platform claimed the site allowed too many officials to take down content without legal review.
- Brazil: In another high-profile conflict, X had a major standoff with Brazil’s Supreme Court. That led to the platform being banned for over a month before it restored operations.
These moments highlight a growing tension between X’s focus on free speech and various governments’ demands for content control.
Still No Clear Answer
As of now, neither Reuters nor X has provided a clear explanation for what happened over the weekend. The accounts are back up in India, but it’s unclear:
- Who initiated the block?
- Was it a mistake, a miscommunication, or an automated system at play?
- Could similar incidents happen again without warning?
What This Means for the Future
This small incident points to a bigger issue: the growing uncertainty around content moderation, free speech, and platform transparency.
With X becoming increasingly AI-driven and global, the pressure to balance user rights with local laws is only getting harder. And when major news accounts like Reuters get caught in the crossfire, the stakes get even higher.
Key Points to Remember
- Reuters accounts were blocked in India for part of the weekend, but were restored by Sunday.
- No official reason has been confirmed for the temporary restriction.
- Indian government denies requesting the block, and says it’s working with X to resolve the matter.
- X has previously clashed with governments in India and Brazil over content takedown demands.
- Transparency is still lacking, leaving users unsure why trusted news accounts were silenced.
Final Thought
In a time when reliable information is more important than ever, moments like this highlight the fragile nature of news access online. Whether it was an error, a policy glitch, or something else entirely, users — and newsrooms — deserve more clarity.
Because when facts get blocked without warning, trust in platforms takes the biggest hit.