Main Reuters News Account Restored After Temporary Suspension in India
Over the weekend, Indian users were unable to access the main Reuters news account and the Reuters World account on the social media platform X. The accounts were later restored on Sunday, following a period of inaccessibility.
According to Reuters reports, Indian users trying to view the @Reuters account were greeted with a message stating that the account had been withheld in India due to a legal demand. This message puzzled many as the Indian government denied issuing any such demand to block the account.
A spokesperson for the Indian government clarified to JS that there was no directive to withhold the Reuters handle and that they were actively working with X to resolve the issue. On the other hand, Reuters mentioned that they had received a notification from X in May regarding content being withheld in response to a request from the Indian government, although the specifics of the request were not disclosed.
The social media platform, previously known as Twitter and now merged with xAI, has been critical of government interference in content moderation. Earlier this year, X filed a lawsuit against the Indian government, alleging that a new website allowed for excessive censorship of information by enabling public officials to take down content or block accounts without proper legal grounds.
This incident is not the first time X has clashed with a government over content moderation. In Brazil, the platform faced a ban by the Supreme Court, leading to a temporary shutdown of operations.
As of now, X has not responded to queries from JS regarding the suspension of the Reuters accounts, while Reuters has yet to provide further details on their communication with the Indian government and X.
Update: The Reuters accounts have been reinstated, providing Indian users with access to the news content once again. Additional reporting by Jagmeet Singh.
