Kathmandu: The Indian government has issued executive orders directing social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to block access to more than 8,000 accounts in India, including those belonging to international news organizations and prominent users, according to a statement released by the company.
X stated that failure to comply could lead to significant fines and even imprisonment of its employees based in India. The platform confirmed it has begun the process of withholding access to the specified accounts within Indian territory.
The company, however, voiced strong disagreement with the government’s directive, calling the broad account-level blocks “unnecessary” and “censorship,” arguing that such actions are contrary to the fundamental right to free speech.
“In most cases, the Indian government has not specified which posts from an account have violated local laws,” X said in its statement. “For a significant number of accounts, we did not receive any evidence or justification to block them.”
Despite the legal pressures, X maintained that keeping the platform operational in India is vital to ensuring public access to information. It also raised concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the executive orders, noting that it is legally prohibited from publishing the details of the orders publicly.
The company said it is exploring all legal options available under Indian law but noted that its ability to challenge such orders is limited compared to individual users. X encouraged affected users to seek legal recourse through the courts.
The development has sparked renewed debate over free expression and government regulation of online platforms in one of the world’s largest digital markets.