On July 6, 2025, access to the official Reuters and Reuters World accounts on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) was unexpectedly restricted for users in India. Instead of the usual news feed, users were shown a message stating the accounts had been “withheld in India in response to a legal demand.”
The restriction was particularly striking given Reuters’ massive audience—its main account alone has over 25 million followers. Interestingly, access to the accounts was restored by the next day, but the exact cause of the block remains unclear.
Officials from the Indian government denied involvement in the takedown. According to a spokesperson, no official request had been made to the platform to restrict Reuters’ content. They also noted that they were actively working with the company to identify and fix the issue.
Meanwhile, Reuters stated that they are communicating with the platform to resolve the situation. The news agency mentioned receiving a notice back in May indicating that certain content was being withheld at the request of Indian authorities. However, the message lacked details, such as which content or agency was involved.
This incident adds to ongoing tensions between the platform and various governments around the world. The company behind X has previously pushed back against what it sees as government overreach and has taken legal steps in India to challenge regulations it claims allow unchecked censorship of online content.
Similar challenges have occurred elsewhere, including in Brazil, where disputes with judicial authorities led to a temporary shutdown of the platform’s services in the country.
As of now, neither Reuters nor the platform has shared further details about the temporary restriction. The case reflects a broader global debate around government control of online spaces, freedom of the press, and the responsibilities of digital platforms in moderating content.
