Tech Desk 
Jul 07, 2025
The Reuters news account on X, formerly known as Twitter, was momentarily blocked in India on Saturday night due to a "legal demand."
However, the Indian government intervened, and the account was reactivated the next day.
With a notice that read, "@Reuters has been withheld in IN (India) in response to a legal demand," Indian users were unable to access the account, which has over 25 million followers worldwide.
"At this time, we are no longer withholding access in India to your account," X wrote in an email to the Reuters social media team, suggesting that the problem has been temporarily fixed.
However, it is still unknown why the suspension and subsequent restoration occurred.
A representative for the Press Information Bureau of the Indian government explained that officials were collaborating with X to find a solution and that no Indian government agency had mandated the withholding of the Reuters handle.
X informed Reuters of a legal request under India's Information Technology Act, 2000, in a previous email on May 16.
The email said, "It is our policy to notify account holders if we receive a legal request from an authorised entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account."
"We have withheld your X account in India under the country's Information Technology Act, 2000 in order to comply with X's obligations under India's local laws; the content remains available elsewhere," the email went on to explain.
The incident brings to light the ongoing conflict over requests for content removal between X and the Indian government.
India contends the website merely alerts tech companies to harmful online content, while X sued the federal government in March over a new website that X says extends takedown powers to "countless" government officials.
As stated in their email to Reuters, "It is our policy to notify account holders if we receive a legal request from an authorised entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account," X makes it clear how they will handle legal demands pertaining to user content.
X and the Indian government worked together to restore the Reuters account in India.
The Information Technology Act of 2000, which was passed by the Indian government, gives designated officials the authority to order the removal of any content that is thought to be against local laws, including those pertaining to public order or national security.
The circumstances surrounding the block and restoration of the Reuters account in India highlight the difficulties social media companies face in striking a balance between user rights protection and local legal compliance.
