The Crossbill News Desk
In the wake of Operation Sindoor, Elon Musk-owned social media platform X has confirmed that it received executive orders from the Indian government to block over 8,000 accounts in India.
These accounts reportedly include those belonging to prominent X users and international news organisations.
The directive was issued amid an alleged surge of misinformation related to India’s recent precision strikes on terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
According to X’s Global Government Affairs handle, non-compliance with the orders could expose the platform to severe legal consequences, including substantial fines and possible imprisonment of its local staff. The company has begun the process of restricting access to the specified accounts within India but stated its disagreement with the government’s demands.
"To comply with the orders, we will withhold the specified accounts in India alone. We have begun that process. However, we disagree with the Indian government’s demands," the company said in its statement.
“In most cases, the Indian government has not specified which posts from an account have violated India’s local laws. For a significant number of accounts, we did not receive any evidence or justification to block the accounts."
The company also highlighted that it is legally restrained from disclosing the executive orders it received but stressed that transparency in such matters is vital to ensure accountability and prevent arbitrary actions.
As of now, the X handles of several Pakistan-based news organisations, including Dawn and GeoNews, are no longer accessible in India. X’s acknowledgment of the scale of the government’s orders has provided a rare glimpse into the extent of digital censorship that followed the operation.
Social media during this period saw a flood of false visuals and unverified claims, ranging from doctored footage and unrelated airstrike clips to scenes from video games being passed off as real.
The Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking unit actively debunked numerous viral posts. Among these was a fake letter allegedly written by a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist, which claimed issues with the BrahMos missile system. The PIB confirmed the letter was fabricated and that no such scientist existed at DRDO. Similarly, visuals of an old aircraft crash were circulated online, wrongly claiming that Pakistan had shot down an Indian Rafale jet—another claim dismissed as false by the PIB.
In the broader context of controlling misinformation following terror-related incidents, the Indian government had previously banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack last month.
These included major broadcasters like Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, and GeoNews, all accused of spreading provocative, misleading, and communally sensitive content against India and its security forces.
However, the X account of Maktoob Media, a digital news platform known for its focus on human rights and minority issues, has been withheld in India following a legal demand from the Indian government. Users attempting to access the account from India are met with a message stating the handle has been restricted “in response to a legal demand.” The social media platform has not provided specific reasons for the action.
X, in a standard notice on Maktoob’s page, stated that content may be withheld in a particular jurisdiction if it receives a “valid and properly scoped request” from an authorised entity. The company added that such restrictions are limited to the regions that have issued the legal orders or where content allegedly violates local laws.
Maktoob’s editor, Aslah Kayyalakkath, condemned the move as a blatant attack on press freedom.
“We have no knowledge of the reason for the government’s arbitrary action,” he said in a post, adding that the platform will continue its journalistic work “at a time when truth is becoming a casualty.”
Several other accounts have also been withheld in India. These include that of The Indian Express journalist Muzzamil Jaleel, news platform Kashmiryat, and social media influencer Arpit Sharma, who produces videos on social issues.
Force Magazine reported that a video by its editor Pravin Sawhney was also blocked. In a statement, the magazine said, “Blocking media that raises questions does not increase the credibility of the message the government wants to communicate at this critical juncture. It only raises more doubts.”
The critics argue that the current environment is being misused to suppress press freedom and target voices of dissent within India.
These accounts reportedly include those belonging to prominent X users and international news organisations.
The directive was issued amid an alleged surge of misinformation related to India’s recent precision strikes on terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
According to X’s Global Government Affairs handle, non-compliance with the orders could expose the platform to severe legal consequences, including substantial fines and possible imprisonment of its local staff. The company has begun the process of restricting access to the specified accounts within India but stated its disagreement with the government’s demands.
"To comply with the orders, we will withhold the specified accounts in India alone. We have begun that process. However, we disagree with the Indian government’s demands," the company said in its statement.
“In most cases, the Indian government has not specified which posts from an account have violated India’s local laws. For a significant number of accounts, we did not receive any evidence or justification to block the accounts."
The company also highlighted that it is legally restrained from disclosing the executive orders it received but stressed that transparency in such matters is vital to ensure accountability and prevent arbitrary actions.
As of now, the X handles of several Pakistan-based news organisations, including Dawn and GeoNews, are no longer accessible in India. X’s acknowledgment of the scale of the government’s orders has provided a rare glimpse into the extent of digital censorship that followed the operation.
Social media during this period saw a flood of false visuals and unverified claims, ranging from doctored footage and unrelated airstrike clips to scenes from video games being passed off as real.
The Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking unit actively debunked numerous viral posts. Among these was a fake letter allegedly written by a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) scientist, which claimed issues with the BrahMos missile system. The PIB confirmed the letter was fabricated and that no such scientist existed at DRDO. Similarly, visuals of an old aircraft crash were circulated online, wrongly claiming that Pakistan had shot down an Indian Rafale jet—another claim dismissed as false by the PIB.
In the broader context of controlling misinformation following terror-related incidents, the Indian government had previously banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack last month.
These included major broadcasters like Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, and GeoNews, all accused of spreading provocative, misleading, and communally sensitive content against India and its security forces.
However, the X account of Maktoob Media, a digital news platform known for its focus on human rights and minority issues, has been withheld in India following a legal demand from the Indian government. Users attempting to access the account from India are met with a message stating the handle has been restricted “in response to a legal demand.” The social media platform has not provided specific reasons for the action.
X, in a standard notice on Maktoob’s page, stated that content may be withheld in a particular jurisdiction if it receives a “valid and properly scoped request” from an authorised entity. The company added that such restrictions are limited to the regions that have issued the legal orders or where content allegedly violates local laws.
Maktoob’s editor, Aslah Kayyalakkath, condemned the move as a blatant attack on press freedom.
“We have no knowledge of the reason for the government’s arbitrary action,” he said in a post, adding that the platform will continue its journalistic work “at a time when truth is becoming a casualty.”
Several other accounts have also been withheld in India. These include that of The Indian Express journalist Muzzamil Jaleel, news platform Kashmiryat, and social media influencer Arpit Sharma, who produces videos on social issues.
Force Magazine reported that a video by its editor Pravin Sawhney was also blocked. In a statement, the magazine said, “Blocking media that raises questions does not increase the credibility of the message the government wants to communicate at this critical juncture. It only raises more doubts.”
The critics argue that the current environment is being misused to suppress press freedom and target voices of dissent within India.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment