India orders X to block over 8,000 accounts amid Indo-Pak tensions, Musk's platform warns of 'censorship'
Amid rising Indo-Pak tensions, India orders Elon Musk's platform X to block over 8,000 accounts, including international media and prominent users, citing security concerns.
The Indian government has issued executive orders demanding that Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter) block over 8,000 accounts in India, including those belonging to international media outlets and prominent users.
Failure to comply could result in severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment of its local staff, the platform revealed in a statement posted on X on Thursday (May 8).
X labels executive order censorship
Taking to its social media feed, X's Global Government Affairs handle posted a lengthy statement on the Indian government's order, stating that "Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary—it amounts to censorship."
While maintaining that it disagrees with the GOI'sdirectives, the company confirmed that it has begun complying by geo-blocking the targeted accounts within India. It stressed that in "most cases, the Indian government has not specified which posts from an account have violated India's local laws".
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The move comes amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam region and the subsequent cross-border anti-terrorism Operation Sindoor undertaken by India.
X has received executive orders from the Indian government requiring X to block over 8,000 accounts in India, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment of the company’s local employees. The orders include demands to block access in India to…
Notably, since the Pahalgam attack, accounts of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and prominent Pakistani celebrities like Hania Amir and Fawad Khan, are among those now inaccessible in India.
X emphasised that it has notified affected users and is exploring legal options, although it faces constraints under Indian law. The company also called for greater transparency, saying it is unable to publish the executive orders because of legal restrictions but encouraged affected users to seek redress through Indian courts.
The tech titan also posted multiple links, including one for India's IT Ministry, where the affected users can get help.
