X blocks 8000 accounts in India after govt order to combat misinformation

X has blocked over 8,000 accounts in India following government orders, citing censorship concerns and lack of transparency, while urging affected users to seek legal help and challenging restrictions

Social media platform X has begun restricting access to over 8,000 accounts in India, responding to government directives that include the threat of hefty fines and imprisonment for its employees in the country if it "fails to comply".

 

The order affects a broad spectrum of users, including well-known individuals and international media outlets. Elon Musk-led X said it had "no choice but to act" in order to prevent the entire service from being banned in India.

 

 

To combat misinformation amid the ongoing border tension with Pakistan, the Indian government has warned about accounts spreading fake news. Authorities have asked netizens to verify all claims with official agencies like PIB Fact Check, Ministry of Home Affairs, or the respective state disaster response units. People have also been asked to not forward or share any fake claim and continue with normal daily activity unless an official directive advises otherwise.

 

In this line, the Indian Embassy in Beijing has even cautioned China's state-run Global Times over spreading unverified claims on Indian military operations, urging the outlet to verify facts before posting on social media.

 

Recently, India also banned social media accounts of prominent Pakistani celebrity accounts, including artists such as Fawad Khan, Atif Aslam and Hania Amir, as part of a series of countermeasures following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

 

The government has also issued a directive to all OTT platforms and digital streaming services operating in India to immediately remove all content originating from Pakistan.