Elon Musk’s X To Withhold 8,000+ Accounts In India Over Government Orders; Raises Censorship Concerns

Billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform X on Thursday confirmed that it has received orders from the Indian government to block over 8,000 accounts for allegedly violating local laws.

The company stated that it will comply with the legal directive.

In a public statement, X did not identify the accounts but disclosed that they include international news organisations and well-known users on the platform.

The government’s move follows heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 tourists, sparking a wave of misinformation online.

“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 statement noted.

The platform added that many of the orders lacked clarity.

“For a significant number of accounts, we did not receive any evidence or justification to block the accounts,” X said, clarifying that the restrictions will apply only within India.

Describing the action as ‘not easy’, the company confirmed it has begun the process of withholding the accounts and has notified affected users of the government’s directive.

Concerns Over Free Speech & Censorship

X also voiced its disagreement with the government’s demand to block entire accounts, arguing that such a move equates to censorship.

The statement further added, “It amounts to censorship of existing and future content and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech.”

The company stressed the importance of its platform in providing access to information for Indian users.

“We believe that making these executive orders public is essential for transparency — lack of disclosure discourages accountability and can contribute to arbitrary decision making. However, due to legal restrictions, we are unable to publish the executive orders at this time,” the statement stated.

X noted that it is exploring all legal options and urged affected users to seek remedies through the courts.

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