A day after X announced that it had to block more than 8,000 handles on the Centre’s request, its own Global Affairs handle was briefly blocked in India on Friday morning.

Several users in India also found The Wire news website inaccessible, although its social media handles are still active. Later in the day, The Wire reappeared on a mirror website called thewirenews.in.

The X handles blocked include those of Kashmir Times managing editor Anuradha Bhasin; Maktoob Media, a digital news platform focused on human rights and minority issues in India; Free Press Kashmir, The Kashmiriyat, The Indian Express’s deputy editor Muzammil Jaleel.

Bhasin, who is in the US, wrote on Facebook: “Just learnt that X has blocked me in India without even informing me. While my account is blocked, the trolls I get spreading filth, abuse and rape threats are free to do so.”

The Wire said in a statement: “Internet service providers say The Wire has been blocked as per the order of the ministry of electronics and information technology under the IT Act, 2000. We protest this blatant censorship at a critical time for India when
sane, truthful, fair and rational voices and sources of news and information are among the biggest assets that India has. We are taking all necessary steps to challenge this arbitrary and inexplicable move.”

The Wire’s senior editor, Arfa Khanum Sherwani, posted on X: “My private phone number and email were leaked on Twitter. For the past 24 hours, I’ve been receiving nonstop threatening messages and calls.”