India Asks X to Block 8,000+ Accounts Amid Rising Tensions with Pakistan

• India ordered X to block over 8,000 accounts, citing legal grounds.
• X describes the move as censorship, urging users to challenge it in court.
• The action comes amid growing India-Pakistan digital restrictions.

After banning accounts of Pakistani influencers, India has ordered the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to block access to more than 8,000 accounts, many of which belong to international news outlets and prominent users. The directive was issued through executive orders, and X’s Global Government Affairs team confirmed the news on May 8, 2025.

In a public statement, X described the move as censorship and said that blocking entire accounts was “unnecessary” and “contrary to the fundamental right of free speech.” The company is complying with the orders by restricting access to the accounts within India, but has made it clear that it does not agree with the government’s demands.

“To comply with the orders, we will withhold the specified accounts in India alone. We have begun that process,” the company wrote. They also stated, “Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content.”

X encouraged the affected users to challenge the orders in Indian courts legally. It also shared a list of legal aid groups that can help those seeking to fight the block. At the same time, the company acknowledged that it has limited legal options to challenge the directive itself, saying, “X is restricted by Indian law in its ability to bring legal challenges against these executive orders.”

Interestingly, X’s own Global Government Affairs account was temporarily blocked in India. According to Indian tech journalist Aditi Agrawal, this happened after local authorities questioned the company's tweet about the account blocks. She later reported that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a follow-up order instructing X to unblock the account. It was restored by the next morning.

This wave of account restrictions comes amid a surge in internet censorship across the region, driven by growing military tensions between India and Pakistan. On May 7, Meta reportedly blocked a major Muslim news page on Instagram at the request of Indian authorities. The following day, the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory to all media, streaming, and digital platforms, urging them to block content originating from Pakistan.

In response, Pakistan resumed access to X after a 15-month-long ban but simultaneously blocked at least 16 YouTube news channels and 32 Indian websites, accusing them of spreading anti-Pakistan misinformation.

Previously, VPNs were banned in the Doda region of Kashmir, India. But now, the digital crackdown reflects heightened hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who have exchanged missile and drone strikes over the disputed Kashmir region since May 7. Both sides accuse each other of provoking the conflict.

As of now, access to the blocked X accounts remains restricted within India. However, users may still access them using high-end VPN services that can bypass the geo-restrictions.