X complies with govt order to block specific accounts, expresses disagreement

In compliance with the order, X has restrained these accounts, yet it advocates for the freedom of expression concerning these posts and accounts.

Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter, disagrees with Central Government's request to block specific accounts and posts on the social media platform. X will comply with the order and restrict the accounts and posts, only in India. However, it has expressly stated that it does not agree with the government.

The voice of X's Global Government Affairs team said in a post, "In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts."

X has informed the affected users about the government's actions, as per the social media platform's policies. It is considering to file a writ challenging the Indian government's decision of restricting specific accounts.

The Indian government has issued executive orders requiring X to act on specific accounts and posts, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment. 

In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however,…

— Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) February 21, 2024

X also advocates for the publication of the order in the public domain to ensure transparency, as it is unable to do so due to legal constraints.

"Due to legal restrictions, we are unable to publish the executive orders, but we believe that making them public is essential for transparency. This lack of disclosure can lead to a lack of accountability and arbitrary decision-making," the post added.

According to The Times of India, the above mentioned accounts and posts are linked to the ongoing farmers' protest. The report mentions that The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) instructed X to temporarily block 177 accounts connected to the farmers' protests.

Farmers across the country are uniting to protest for their rights, calling for legal guarantees on the minimum support price (MSP) for crops and relaxation of agricultural debts.

This marks the second instance of social media platform X taking a stance against the Indian government, following a previous lawsuit against the government in 2022 over content-blocking orders. However, the company faced an unfavorable ruling last year.