X's Global Affairs account withheld in India after 'block 8,000 account' request
The move comes hours after X said that India asked it to lock 8,000 accounts on the social media platform.
The Global Affairs account of X (formerly Twitter) has been withheld in India day after Elon Musk-owned social media platform said that India asked it to block 8,000 accounts.
The account now shows a blank screen which reads ‘Account Withheld’ in bold letters, followed by “@GlobalAffairs has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.”
This comes a day after Elon Musk's X said on Thursday that India has asked it to block as many as 8,000 accounts from the social media platform. The announcement came amid rising military tensions between India and Pakistan ever since India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ during the early hours of Wednesday.
Track live updates of India-Pakistan conflict here.
What X said on India's request
"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 orders include demands to block access in India to accounts belonging to international news organizations and prominent X users," X had said in a statement.
Also read: Chandigarh, Patiala on alert day after India thwart Pakistan's missile-drone attack
The social media platform also said that although it was “not an easy decision”, it would comply with India's request to keep the platform accessible in India. “Keeping the platform accessible in India is vital to Indians’ ability to access information.”
X further expressed concerns over legal limitations that prevent the publication of the executive orders. “We believe that making these executive orders public is essential for transparency – lack of disclosure discourages accountability and can contribute to arbitrary decision making,” it said.
This comes as the military conflict between India and Pakistan is escalating. Last night, Pakistan targeted and sent drones across as many as 15 border cities in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, including Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Chandigarh and more. However, all the attempts of Pakistan to attack India were thwarted by our armed forces.
