-
India has directed X to deactivate more than 8,000 accounts, according to a statement from the social media firm on May 8, 2025.
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X considered India’s directives as an act of censorship and encouraged account holders to pursue legal action against the restrictions.
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As tensions between India and Pakistan continue to rise, both nations have stepped up their online content restrictions.
India has issued executive directives to X, requesting the social media platform to block more than 8,000 accounts nationwide. According to X, these account holders comprise members of international news outlets as well as notable individuals who use their services.
The Global Government Affairs department of X revealed the specifics.
in a lengthy tweet
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, labeling these requests as “censorship,” and encouraging account owners located in India to pursue legal action against the restrictions.
“Banning whole accounts is not just excessive; it also equates to censoring current and upcoming content, which goes against the basic right to freedom of expression,” noted X.
X disagrees but it’s limited due to Indian law.
“In order to adhere to the directives, we will freeze the designated accounts solely within India. We have initiated this procedure,” noted X, further stating that the company does not agree with the requests made by the Indian government.
This implies, though, that individuals with blocked accounts might still continue to use the platform by employing one of the
best VPN
services to fake their IP address location.
x is examining every potential legal route accessible to the corporation. The firm noted, ‘Unlike users based in India, x faces limitations under Indian law when attempting to contest these executive orders through legal means.’ Meanwhile, they urged all affected users to pursue suitable remedies from the judicial system.
The social media firm went further by sharing a roster of legal assistance groups that might support individuals contesting these blockades. They also stated they had informed everyone affected by these measures.
X’s Global Government Affairs account was temporarily withheld in India, as reported by Indian technology journalist Adit Agrawal on
her LinkedIn account
.
The account was restored on Friday morning. According to a person aware of the matter, Agrawal reported, X blocked the account without an official order after authorities asked the company about the tweet.
“Now MeitY has issued an order to X to NOT block it, as per this person,”
wrote Agrawal.
India/Pakistan information crackdown
X’s blocking orders coincide with a spike in internet censorship across the country as the conflict with the neighboring Pakistan intensifies.
On Wednesday, May 7, Meta also blocked a major Muslim news page on Instagram at the authorities’ request, as
reported by The Guardian
.
On Thursday, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also
issued an advisory
urging all media companies, streaming services, and online platforms to block all content originating from Pakistan.
On his side, Pakistan has resumed access to X on Wednesday after a
15-month-long ban
.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority
(PTA) also blocked access
to at least 16 YouTube news channels and 32 websites from India on the same day, for allegedly spreading misinformation and anti-Pakistan propaganda.
As
reported by the BBC
India and Pakistan accuse each other of intensifying military hostilities and have engaged in repeated missile and drone attacks since Wednesday. This marks a significant heightening of the long-standing conflict over the contested region of Kashmir involving these two nuclear powers.
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