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Key Points

The Indian government clarified it did not order the suspension of Reuters, TRT World, and Global Times accounts on X. Users briefly saw "withheld" messages citing legal demands before access was restored. MeitY confirmed working with X to resolve the issue. The platform stated such actions occur in response to local laws or court orders.

Key Points: India Restores Reuters TRT World Global Times X Accounts After Brief Suspension

  • Indian government denies ordering suspension of Reuters X account
  • TRT World and Global Times also faced temporary withholding
  • X cites legal demands for withheld content
  • MeitY confirms collaboration with X to resolve access issues
2 min read

X accounts of Reuters, TRT World, Global Times restored in India

Indian government clarifies no directive to block Reuters, TRT World, and Global Times X accounts as access is restored following technical resolution.

"There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem. – MeitY Spokesperson"

New Delhi, July 7

The X accounts of UK-based news agency Reuters, Turkish broadcaster TRT World, and China's English language newspaper Global Times were restored in India on Sunday evening, a day after users were unable to access them.

Earlier in the day, the Centre intervened, stating that the Indian government had not sought to withhold the Reuters account on the social media platform X, and "working with X to resolve the problem.".

An official spokesperson for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said, "There is no requirement from the Government of India to withhold Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem."

Earlier, people in India were unable to access the X handle of Reuters with a message stating that its account has been withheld in India "in response to a legal demand."

Users who attempted to access the Reuters account in India encountered the message- "Account withheld. @ Reuters has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand."

The X handles of TRT World and Global Times also encountered the same "account withheld" message.

On its help centre page, the Elon Musk-owned platform X explained that such messages "about country withheld content" mean that X was compelled to withhold the entire account specified or posts in response to a valid legal demand, such as a court order or local laws.

"If you see the above message, it means X withheld content based on local law(s) in response to a report filed through specific support intake channels," the social media platform said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Why were these accounts blocked in the first place? The lack of transparency is concerning. We deserve to know what "legal demand" caused this temporary ban.
A
Aditya G
Global Times is Chinese propaganda. I don't understand why we need to restore access to such outlets that constantly spread misinformation about India. 🤔
S
Sarah B
As an expat in India, I appreciate the quick resolution. Reuters is an important source of unbiased news. The technical glitch (if it was one) shouldn't have happened though.
K
Kavya N
The government should be more careful with these things. Such incidents give ammunition to those who claim India is suppressing press freedom. Better coordination needed between ministries.
V
Vikram M
X (Twitter) needs to be more transparent about these "legal demands". Are they automatically complying with every request? What about due process? This affects India's digital reputation.

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