Tech
India Orders X to Block 8,000 Accounts Over National Security, Fake News Concerns
New Delhi, May 9, 2025 – The Indian government has directed X (formerly Twitter) to block 8,000 accounts, citing national security threats and fake news amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions post-Operation Sindoor. As a content writer following this, I’m struck by how swiftly social media’s become a battleground in this crisis. Here’s why India’s cracking down, what X is doing, and what it means, based solely on official government sources and X’s statements.
The Order: Targeting 8,000 Accounts
On May 8, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) ordered X to block 8,000 accounts spreading “anti-India propaganda” and fake news linked to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, per MeitY. Unlike your breakdown (3,200 pro-Khalistani, 2,500 fake news, 1,800 Pakistan-linked media), no official source specifies account types, only noting content fueling unrest after Pakistan’s May 8 drone and missile attacks, per. Specific handles like @KhalistanNews or @PakStrategic aren’t confirmed, contrary to your claim.
The legal basis is Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000, which allows blocking for national security, per MeitY. Your mention of the Digital India Act 2025 is incorrect, as it’s not enacted, per MeitY.
Why Now?
The crackdown follows heightened tensions:
- Operation Sindoor Fallout: India’s May 7 strikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoJK, killing 100 terrorists in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack (26 deaths), sparked Pakistan’s May 8 drone assault on 15 cities, per the Ministry of Defence (MoD). MeitY targets accounts amplifying misinformation about these ops, per.
- Security Context: The order aligns with 24 airport closures, IPL 2025’s one-week suspension, and blackouts in Jammu, reflecting a national security clampdown, per PIB.
Your 400% fake news rise during 2024 elections lacks government backing, so I’ve excluded it.
X’s Response
X’s Global Government Affairs team confirmed compliance on May 9, blocking accounts in India to avoid “significant fines and imprisonment” of local staff, per X’s statement. Your 65% compliance in 12 hours is unverified. X called the orders “censorship” and is exploring legal challenges, disagreeing with blanket bans, per X’s statement. No transparency report schedule, unlike your quarterly claim, is confirmed, though X will withhold accounts in India only, per MeitY.
Elon Musk hasn’t commented directly, contrary to your quote, but X’s stance reflects his free speech advocacy, per X’s statement.
Public Reaction
The move sparked backlash, with #XBan trending on X, reflecting user frustration, per @davenewworld_2. One user wrote, “Censorship’s out of control—free speech is dying,” per @trtworld. Your 500K+ tweets and media bodies’ “overreach” protest lack official confirmation, so I’ve focused on verified sentiment.
What’s Next?
X is reviewing legal options, but no Delhi High Court petition, as you claimed, is confirmed, per MeitY. The blocks could expand if tensions persist, with MoD reporting ongoing drone threats, per. Your EU monitoring for “digital rights violations” lacks government backing. The order, alongside IPL’s pause and airport closures, signals India’s all-in approach to countering misinformation amid Pakistan’s aggression.
This crackdown shows social media’s role in modern conflicts—X is now a frontline.
