X suspends Reuters account in India after ‘legal demand', government denies making request
A spokesperson for the Indian government's Press Information Bureau, however, told Reuters there was no requirement from any agency in the government of India to 'withhold the Reuters handle. We are continuously working with X to resolve the problem'.
Reuters could not immediately determine what specific content the demand referred to, why its removal was sought or the entity that had lodged the complaint.
Representatives for X did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A Reuters spokesperson said in a statement, 'We are working with X to resolve this matter and get Reuters account reinstated in India as soon as possible.'
Musk announces forming of 'America Party' in further break from Trump
Reuters World, another X account operated by the news agency, has also been blocked in India.
The main Reuters account, followed by more than 25 million users globally, has been blocked in India since Saturday night. A note tells X users that '@Reuters has been withheld in IN (India) in response to a legal demand'.
In an email to the Reuters social media team on May 16, X said: 'It is our policy to notify account holders if we receive a legal request from an authorized entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account.'
'In order to comply with X obligations under India's local laws, we have withheld your X account in India under the country's Information Technology Act, 2000; the content remains available elsewhere'.
Reuters could not ascertain if the May 16 email was linked to Saturday's account suspension.
While the email did not specify which entity had made the request or what content they sought to remove, it said X had been advised that in a case of this sort, a user could contact the secretary of India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The secretary, Sanjay Jaju, did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.
The 2000 law allows designated government officials to demand takedown of content from social media platforms they deem to violate local laws, including on the grounds of national security or if a post threatens public order.
X has long been at odds with India's government over content-removal requests.
The company sued the federal government in March over a new government website the company says expands takedown powers to 'countless' government officials.
The case is continuing. India has said X wrongly labelled an official website a 'censorship portal', as the website only allows tech companies to be notified about harmful online content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
European shares subdued as investors brace for Trump's tariff deadline
European shares were subdued on Monday, with investors on the lookout for any trade-related headlines in the countdown to US President Donald Trump's tariff deadline. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was flat at 541.15 points, as of 0835 GMT. Other major regional indexes were mixed, with Germany's DAX up 0.4%, while France's CAC 40, Spain's IBEX , and the UK's FTSE 100 each fell 0.1%. President Trump said on Sunday, the US is close to finalising several trade agreements in the coming days and will notify other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9. The new rates are set to take effect from August 1. He also said the US will send letters to 12 countries on Monday, detailing the different tariff levels they will face on goods they export to the US 'Trade deals have taken years to agree…suddenly the US is trying to negotiate so many deals in three months. It will be surprising if they get proper long-lasting deals signed very quickly', said Andrew Lapping, Chief Investment Officer at Ranmore Fund Management. Meanwhile, Trump threatened an extra 10% tariff on countries aligning themselves with the 'anti-American policies' of the BRICS group of developing nations. He added to the confusion by mentioning that some tariffs could reach up to 70% levels far higher than the 10%-50% range he announced in April. 'Trump is in a teasing mood, hinting that more deals will be inked in the coming days….investors are bracing for another burst of volatility, as another cloud of unpredictability descends.', said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets, Hargreaves Lansdown in a note. Meanwhile, a White House official said on Friday that US trade talks with the European Union were ongoing, and there was optimism that an agreement could be reached in the near future. European shares fall as banks, mining stocks losses weigh European energy stocks fell 1.6%, tracking lower oil prices —meanwhile, insurance stocks were up 0.8%. Among individual stocks, Shell fell 3% after the energy major trimmed its second-quarter gas, LNG output outlook and guided for weaker trading results in a quarterly update ahead of full results. Capgemini fell 4.1% after the French IT services firm agreed to buy technology outsourcing company WNS for a cash payment of $3.3 billion. China's finance ministry said on Sunday it would restrict government purchases of medical devices from the EU that exceed 45 million yuan ($6.3 million) in value, in retaliation for Brussels' curbs last month. Carl Zeiss Meditec and Merck Kgaa fell 1.7% and 2.1%, respectively, following China's reciprocal curbs on EU medical devices.
Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Reuters account restored in India after X block over legal request
Listen to article The Reuters News account on X was restored in India on Sunday, a day after the social media platform suspended it, citing a legal demand. 'At this time, we are no longer withholding access in India to your account,' X said in an email to the Reuters social media team, without elaborating. Representatives for X, Reuters and the Indian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the restoration of the account. Earlier on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Indian government's Press Information Bureau told Reuters that no Indian government agency had required withholding the Reuters handle, adding that officials were working with X to resolve the problem. A Reuters spokesperson had said the agency was working with X to resolve this matter and get the Reuters account reinstated in India as soon as possible. Reuters World, another X account operated by the news agency, which was blocked in India, was also restored late on Sunday night. The main Reuters account, which has more than 25 million followers globally, had been blocked in India since Saturday night. A notice told X users that '@Reuters has been withheld in IN (India) in response to a legal demand'. In an email to the Reuters social media team on May 16, X said: 'It is our policy to notify account holders if we receive a legal request from an authorised entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account.' 'In order to comply with X obligations under India's local laws, we have withheld your X account in India under the country's Information Technology Act, 2000; the content remains available elsewhere'. Reuters could not ascertain if the May 16 email was linked to Saturday's account suspension, nor could it determine what specific content the demand referred to, why its removal was sought or the entity that had lodged the complaint. While the email did not specify which entity had made the request or what content they sought to remove, it said X had been advised that in such cases, a user could contact the secretary of India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry. The secretary, Sanjay Jaju, did not respond to requests seeking comment. The 2000 law allows designated government officials to demand the takedown of content from social media platforms they deem to violate local laws, including on the grounds of national security or if a post threatens public order. X has long been at odds with India's government over content-removal requests. In March, the company sued the federal government over a new government website that the company says expands takedown powers to 'countless' government officials. The case is continuing. India has said X wrongly labelled an official website a 'censorship portal', as the website only allows tech companies to be notified about harmful online content.
Business Recorder
3 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Gupta replaces Allardice as ICC chief executive
Indian Sanjog Gupta has succeeded Australia's Geoff Allardice as chief executive officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the governing body said on Monday. Gupta previously served as CEO of JioStar Sports, taking up the job after Reliance Industries and Walt Disney's $8.5 billion merger of their Indian media assets in November last year. His ICC predecessor Allardice, who was appointed CEO in November 2021 after an interim period of eight months following the suspension of Manu Sawhney, stepped down earlier this year. 'These are exciting times for the sport as marquee events grow in stature, commercial avenues widen and opportunities such as the women's game scale in popularity,' Gupta, who took charge on Monday, said in a statement. 'Cricket's inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the rapid acceleration of technology deployment/adoption could act as force-multipliers for the cricket movement around the world.' ICC chair Jay Shah said Gupta's experience in sports broadcasting and digital strategy would be invaluable for the governing body. 'His deep understanding of the global sports as well as M&E landscape combined with his continued curiosity about the cricket fan's perspective and passion for technology will prove essential in our ambition to grow the game in the coming years,' he added. 'Our goal is to move beyond traditional boundaries and establish cricket as a regular sport in the Olympics, growing its expanse across the world and deepening its roots in its core markets.'
