NEW DELHI, May 9 (Bernama) — The Indian government has ordered social media platform X to block over 8,000 accounts, including foreign news organisations, in India.
It has threatened to punish the company’s local employees if its orders are not obeyed.
“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 social media platform said in a statement on Thursday.
“The orders include demands to block access in India to accounts belonging to international news organisations and prominent X users,” it said.
X said it disagrees with the Indian demands but has started the process of withholding the specified accounts in India only.
The Indian government, in most cases, has not specified which posts from an account have violated India’s local laws, it said.
“Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech,” the company said.
— BERNAMA