X to block 'specific' accounts in India as per government order

Social media giant says it ‘disagrees’ with Indian actions to block certain accounts

NEW DELHI:

X has said it will withhold certain accounts after a request by the Indian government.

“The Indian government has issued executive orders requiring X to act on specific accounts and posts, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment,” the Global Government Affairs account representing X on the platform said.

“We have also provided the impacted users with notice of these actions in accordance with our policies,” it said, without revealing the identity of the accounts.

X, formerly Twitter, has millions of users in India.

Following the Indian government orders, it said: “We will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts.”

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“Due to legal restrictions, we are unable to publish the executive orders, but we believe that making them public is essential for transparency. This lack of disclosure can lead to a lack of accountability and arbitrary decision-making,” the department said.

It added that a writ appeal challenging the Indian government's blocking orders “remains pending.”

The public disclosure by X to block accounts on its site comes amid instances of criticism mounted against Indian government on the social media platform.

Many users have complained that their social media accounts are either blocked or face restrictions in India.

Indian government is yet to issue any statement on the matter.