Social media platform X has begun blocking access to more than 8,000 accounts in India, following executive orders from the Indian government that include threats of substantial fines and jail time for the company’s local employees if non-compliance continues.
The directive impacts a wide range of accounts, including those operated by international news organizations and prominent users. X (formerly Twitter) said it was complying to avoid a broader shutdown of its platform in India but strongly criticized the lack of transparency behind the government’s move.
“This is not an easy decision,” the company said in a statement posted on its Global Government Affairs account. “However, keeping the platform accessible in India is vital to Indians’ ability to access information.”
According to X, many of the orders provided no clarity on what content had violated Indian laws. “In most cases, the Indian government has not specified which posts from an account have violated India’s local laws,” the statement read. “For a significant number of accounts, we did not receive any evidence or justification to block the accounts.”
X described the move as tantamount to censorship and warned that blocking entire accounts—rather than individual posts—has far-reaching consequences.
“Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech,” the company added.
While legal constraints prevent X from publishing the executive orders, it pushed for transparency: “We believe that making these executive orders public is essential for transparency – lack of disclosure discourages accountability and can contribute to arbitrary decision making.”
The platform said it had notified affected users in line with its policy and encouraged them to seek legal relief, sharing contact details of several legal aid organizations including iProbono India, the National Legal Services Authority, and others.
X is exploring its limited legal options under Indian law but acknowledged that the scope for the company to challenge such directives is constrained. “Unlike users located in India, X is restricted by Indian law in its ability to bring legal challenges against these executive orders.”
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