The official X account of international news agency Reuters has been withheld in India following a "legal demand," according to a message displayed on the platform, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Sunday.
Indian users attempting to access the account since late Saturday have been met with a notice stating, “@Reuters has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.”
Despite widespread speculation, the government of India has denied any role in the restriction. A government spokesperson stated on Sunday, “There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters, and we are continuously working with X to resolve the problem.”
Breaking: So called democracy bans world largest agency Reuter's X handle in India.. Modi govt exposes Indian press freedom pic.twitter.com/cm2LNqnBRO
— Waseem Abbasi (@Wabbasi007) July 5, 2025
The spokesperson’s clarification comes amid reports suggesting that the block may be a delayed result of a prior request made during Operation Sindoor, a national security exercise during which the government sought to restrict multiple social media accounts.
According to Indian news agency PTI, Reuters' handle was included in that earlier list, but was not acted upon at the time. The current block may stem from that original request being executed now.
STORY | Reuters' X account blocked in India; govt says no legal requirement made
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 6, 2025
READ: https://t.co/684TPnltwz pic.twitter.com/psMSvcl5vh
As of 11:40 PM on Saturday, Reuters World was also inaccessible in India. However, other affiliated handles—including Reuters Tech News, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters Pictures, Reuters Asia, and Reuters China—remain accessible from Indian networks.
The platform X, meanwhile, reiterated its global policy on content withholding: “In our continuing effort to make our services available to people everywhere, if we receive a valid and properly scoped request from an authorized entity, it may be necessary to withhold access to certain content in a particular country from time to time.”
Reporter Ahmad Mansoor