Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has blocked access to more than 8,000 accounts in India after receiving executive orders from the Indian government. The directive, which comes with the threat of substantial fines and possible imprisonment for X’s local employees in case of non-compliance, targets a broad spectrum of accounts, including those operated by international news organisations and prominent users.

X stated that its compliance was necessary to avoid a complete shutdown of its platform in India, emphasising the importance of keeping the service accessible for the Indian public’s access to information. The company, however, strongly criticised the government’s approach, highlighting a lack of transparency and specificity in the orders. According to X, in most cases, the government did not clarify which posts or content from the targeted accounts allegedly violated Indian laws, nor did it provide evidence or justification for the block orders.

The company described the move as a form of censorship, arguing that blocking entire accounts-rather than specific posts-has far-reaching consequences and undermines the fundamental right to free speech. X’s statement stressed that such actions are “not only unnecessary, [but] amount to censorship of existing and future content, and [are] contrary to the fundamental right of free speech”.

Legal constraints in India prevent X from publishing the executive orders or challenging them robustly in court. The platform noted that while it is exploring its limited legal options, Indian law restricts its ability to contest such directives directly. Instead, X has encouraged affected users to seek legal recourse themselves, providing them with contact details for legal aid organisations such as iProbono India and the National Legal Services Authority.

X has begun the process of withholding the specified accounts only within India, reiterating its disagreement with the government’s demands but prioritising the platform’s continued availability in the country. The company also called for greater transparency, urging the government to make such executive orders public to ensure accountability and prevent arbitrary decision-making.

This episode comes amid a broader debate in India about social media regulation, with increasing government scrutiny of online content and mounting concerns from digital rights activists about potential overreach and threats to freedom of expression. The move by X underscores the ongoing tension between government regulatory powers and the protection of digital rights in one of the world’s largest internet markets.

Agencies