‘X’ Holds Accounts Post Indian Govt. Orders

The social media giant ‘X’, owned by entrepreneur Elon Musk, has announced its compliance with executive orders from the Indian government, leading to the blocking of specific accounts and posts on its platform.

The Global Government Affairs of ‘X’ issued a statement, stating, “The Indian government has issued executive orders mandating ‘X’ to take action on particular accounts and posts, with potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment. In adherence to these orders, we are restricting access to these accounts and posts within India. However, we maintain our belief that freedom of expression should extend to these posts.”

The statement also mentioned that a writ appeal challenging the Indian government’s orders is presently pending. Affected users have been notified of these actions in accordance with the platform’s policies.

“Due to legal constraints, we are unable to disclose the executive orders, but we firmly assert that transparency in making them public is essential. The absence of transparency could lead to a lack of accountability and arbitrary decision-making,” emphasized the statement.

In a previous incident from 2022, ‘X’s account associated with the Pakistan government was withheld in India. This was the second such instance in recent months, with the account initially withheld in July 2022 but later reactivated and visible.

Furthermore, in October, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting directed YouTube to block 45 videos from 10 channels based on inputs from intelligence agencies. The orders to block these videos were issued on October 23, under the provisions of the Information Technology Act.

These blocked videos collectively amassed over 1 crore 30 lakh views and contained content such as fake news and manipulated videos designed to incite hatred among religious communities. Examples included false claims alleging government infringement on religious rights, violent threats against religious communities, and declarations of civil unrest in India.