India Bans Foreign Media Handles Over Misinformation

By Sulagna Halder

New Delhi, 6 July 2025:

Citing concerns about misinformation and national security, the Union government has ordered social media companies to block X (formerly Twitter) accounts that belong to Reuters, China's Global Times and Xinhua, and Turkey's TRT World. 

In the midst of increased tensions after India's "Operation Sindoor," TRT World and Global Times shut down their X accounts on May 14. Officials accused TRT World of spreading misinformation after forensic reports revealed that Pakistan had breached Indian airspace using drones of Turkish origin. The Foreign Office took harsh action after the Indian government pointed out several false reports about Indian military operations from Xinhua and Global Times.

In a public rebuke, the Indian Embassy in Beijing said: "Dear Global Times, we would advise you to double check your sources and confirm your facts before disseminating this type of misinformation." As part of a larger purge of international publications charged with disseminating "anti India content," Reuters' social media accounts were also banned. As of mid May, Xinhua and Reuters were still blocked, even though access to a few accounts, Global Times and TRT World, specifically, was reestablished within hours of legal action.

According to government sources, the blocks were implemented in accordance with Section 69A of the Information Technology Act and were prompted by worries that Western outlets and foreign state affiliated media were disseminating false information during a period of unstable public sentiment following the Pahalgam terror attack. The action attracted attention from around the world. India's decision was criticised by press freedom advocates, who said it was excessive and warned that it would have a chilling effect on media plurality. 

According to reports, "blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content," according to X's Global Government Affairs team.

The government, on the other hand, justified the action as a necessary measure to "curb disinformation and protect public order during a sensitive period" and stated that media outlets could regain access by following Indian legal standards and due process. As the Ministry of Electronics and IT continues to review content, some of the blocked accounts have since been restored, but others are still inaccessible. 

The episode sparks larger discussions about striking a balance between freedom of expression and national security while highlighting India's increasing willingness to censor foreign news sources during times of conflict.