X Corp, formerly known as Twitter, has begun blocking over 8,000 accounts in India following executive orders from the Indian government. The social media platform has expressed its disagreement with the government's demands, citing concerns over censorship and freedom of speech.

The Indian government's orders require X Corp to block access within India to these accounts, potentially subjecting the company to significant fines and the imprisonment of its local employees if it fails to comply. The orders include demands to block accounts belonging to international news organizations and prominent X users. In response, X Corp has stated that it will withhold the specified accounts in India alone.

X Corp has protested the order, asserting that blocking entire accounts is unnecessary and amounts to censorship of existing and future content, which contradicts the fundamental right to freedom of speech. The company also stated that in most cases, the Indian government has not specified which posts from an account have violated India's local laws, and for a significant number of accounts, X Corp claims it did not receive any evidence or justification to block the accounts.

Despite its reservations, X Corp has begun the process of complying with the orders, emphasizing that maintaining the platform's accessibility in India is vital for Indians' access to information. The company is exploring all possible legal avenues available to it to challenge the demands. However, X Corp acknowledges that it is restricted by Indian law in its ability to bring legal challenges against these executive orders, and is encouraging impacted users to seek appropriate relief from the courts.

X Corp has also emphasized the importance of transparency in these situations, stating that making the executive orders public is essential for accountability and to prevent arbitrary decision-making. However, the company says that it is currently unable to publish the orders due to legal restrictions.

The blocking of these accounts comes amid the Indian government's ongoing efforts to regulate online content and combat misinformation, particularly following recent events such as "Operation Sindoor". The government has used its legal powers to block content and accounts that it believes are propagating misinformation. X Corp's disclosure of the blocking orders provides a rare glimpse into the extent of such actions taken by the Indian government.