Social media platform X has confirmed receiving executive orders from the Indian government to block access to over 8,000 accounts within India, warning that failure to comply could result in heavy fines and even imprisonment of the company’s local employees.
The directive includes orders to restrict accounts of international news organisations and prominent users, though specific reasons or evidence have not been provided in many cases, according to a statement from X’s Global Government Affairs team.
“To comply with the orders, we will withhold the specified accounts in India alone. However, we disagree with the Indian government’s demands,” X stated, calling the move unnecessary censorship that threatens the fundamental right to free speech.
The platform has initiated the process of geo-blocking the accounts only within India, citing the importance of remaining accessible to Indian users. X also expressed concern about the lack of transparency, stating that although it believes disclosing the orders is necessary for accountability, it is legally restricted from publishing them.
X said it is exploring all legal options, although Indian law limits the company’s ability to challenge executive orders. The platform has notified affected users and advised them to seek legal recourse, providing a contact for the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology at cyberlaw@meity.gov.in.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. In connection with national security concerns, accounts of key Pakistani political leaders including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former Prime Minister Imran Khan have been suspended in India.