Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has confirmed that it is complying with a series of executive orders from the Indian government requiring it to block more than 8,000 accounts in India. The move comes under threat of severe penalties, including large fines and possible imprisonment for X’s local employees.

In a public statement, X expressed strong disagreement with the Indian government’s demands, stating that most of the orders lacked transparency or justification. “Blocking entire accounts is not only unnecessary, it amounts to censorship of existing and future content, and is contrary to the fundamental right of free speech,” the company said.

According to X, many of the blocked accounts belong to international news organizations and prominent users. In several cases, the government has not specified which posts violated Indian law or provided evidence for the takedown requests.

To ensure continued accessibility in India, X is withholding the specified accounts only within Indian territory, while maintaining their availability globally. The platform also noted that it cannot currently publish the executive orders due to legal restrictions.

Despite complying, X stated it is exploring legal avenues and encouraged impacted users to seek judicial relief. It also listed legal aid resources such as iProbono India, National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), and Supreme Court Legal Services.

X emphasized the importance of transparency and user rights, stating that affected individuals have been notified and may reach out to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology at [email protected].