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Reuters X Account Restored in India Following Suspension Over Legal Request

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News account on X was reinstated in India on Sunday, a day after the social media platform suspended it citing a legal demand, according to an email from X to Reuters’ social media team. X did not provide further details on the reason for the restoration.

Earlier, the Reuters account — which has over 25 million global followers — had been blocked in India since Saturday night, with a notice stating that the suspension was in response to a legal demand under India’s Information Technology Act, 2000. This law allows government officials to order removal of content deemed to violate local laws, including issues of national security or public order.

The Indian government’s Press Information Bureau denied that any agency requested the handle be withheld and said officials were working with X to resolve the issue. Reuters and X representatives did not immediately comment on the restoration.

Another Reuters-operated account, Reuters World, also blocked in India, was restored late Sunday night.

The earlier suspension followed an email sent to Reuters on May 16, informing them of a legal request to remove certain content from their X account in compliance with Indian law. However, the exact content targeted, the requesting entity, and whether this email was connected to the suspension remain unclear.

X has faced ongoing disputes with India over content removal requests. In March, X sued the Indian government over a new website it argued expanded government powers for content takedowns, a case that is ongoing.

India’s Max Financial Reports Cybersecurity Incident at Axis Max Life Insurance Unit

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Max Financial Services announced on Wednesday that its subsidiary, Axis Max Life Insurance, received an anonymous communication warning of unauthorized access to some customer data. The company has launched a security assessment and is analyzing data logs to investigate the breach.

Max Financial stated that a detailed investigation is underway with the help of cybersecurity experts to identify the root cause and implement necessary remedial actions.

Axis Max Life Insurance is a joint venture between Max Financial and private lender Axis Bank. The announcement comes amid a rising wave of cyberattacks in India’s financial sector, with firms like Angel One, Niva Bupa, Star Health, and HDFC Life Insurance reporting significant breaches in the past year.

These incidents have triggered regulatory mandates for comprehensive IT audits across the insurance industry. Cyber fraud cases in India surged more than fourfold in fiscal 2024, resulting in losses exceeding $20 million. Government data shows that since 2021, individuals have lost nearly $1.26 billion to cyber fraud at financial institutions.

India Rebukes X Over “Tom, Dick, and Harry” Remark in Ongoing Court Battle on Content Takedowns

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A legal clash between Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) and the Indian government intensified on Tuesday after X’s lawyer made a controversial remark suggesting that “every Tom, Dick, and Harry” government official could issue takedown orders on online content. The statement drew a sharp and immediate rebuke from India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, escalating a long-standing standoff over digital content regulation.

The remark came during a hearing at the Karnataka High Court, where X is challenging a government-run website that it alleges serves as a “censorship portal.” The Indian government, however, defends the portal as a tool for swiftly notifying social media platforms of legal obligations under content moderation laws.

X’s lawyer, K.G. Raghavan, cited a recent example where the Indian Railways ordered the takedown of a video showing a car being driven on a railway track—content X considered newsworthy. “This is the danger… if every Tom, Dick, and Harry officer is authorised,” he argued.

Solicitor General Mehta strongly objected, stating, “Officers are not Tom, Dick, or Harry… they are statutory functionaries.” He further defended India’s regulatory approach, saying, “No social media intermediary can expect completely unregulated functioning.”

The Indian Information Technology Ministry and X did not issue public responses to Reuters’ inquiries following the courtroom exchange.

India has become a strategically important market for Musk’s expanding empire, particularly with upcoming plans to launch Starlink and Tesla in the country. However, X’s friction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration over content moderation continues to cast a shadow over those ambitions.

The roots of the conflict trace back to 2021, when X refused to comply with Indian orders to block specific tweets. Although it eventually yielded to the demands, the platform has continued to contest the legality of those directives in Indian courts.

Tuesday’s court exchange underscores the ongoing tension between tech giants and sovereign governments over who has the final say in regulating online content—and how far that power should extend.