'We Disagree With These Actions': Elon Musk's X Acts On Certain Accounts, Posts Under Govt Directive

X claimed that they could not disclose the exact orders due to legal constraints.

The Government's directives require X to take action against specific accounts and posts, under threat of significant penalties such as fines and imprisonment.

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Elon Musk-owned microblogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, claimed to have received directives from the Centre, prompting the platform's Global Government Affairs team to voice its disagreement. It argued that withholding certain accounts and posts based on these directives could infringe upon freedom of expression rights.

X revealed the Government's orders in a statement posted at 1:04 am, emphasising its stance on transparency. However, due to legal constraints, they cannot disclose the exact nature of the executive orders. "In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts," X wrote.

Here's what X posted:

The Indian government has issued executive orders requiring X to act on specific accounts and posts, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment.

In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however,…

— Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) February 21, 2024

According to the statement, the Government's directives require X to take action against specific accounts and posts, under threat of significant penalties such as fines and imprisonment. While X has complied with the orders by restricting access to these accounts and posts in India, it maintains its disagreement with the directives and asserts that freedom of expression should encompass the content in question.

Musk is yet to offer a statement on the matter. 

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued an urgent directive to major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, X, and Snap. This directive entails the blocking of 177 accounts and associated links pertaining to the ongoing farmers' protest. The move comes as part of efforts to uphold 'public order'.

The platform has taken steps to inform affected users of these actions in line with its policies. Furthermore, it has initiated legal proceedings to challenge the government's orders, highlighting concerns about accountability and potential arbitrariness stemming from the lack of transparency surrounding the directives.

Meanwhile, Musk has been ordered by a US judge to provide further testimony in the ongoing investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding his acquisition of Twitter, valued at $44 billion. The order, announced by US Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler earlier this month, formalises a previous tentative ruling made in December, which favoured the SEC's position.