Pakistan amplified social media posts with 'anti-India' tone during Operation Sindoor: Report

Multiple identified accounts recorded unusually high engagement levels after the ceasefire

During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan made a coordinated online effort to spread false narratives against India.

According to a report by News18, Indian cyber agencies via an internal report traced the activities of multiple social media accounts, primarily based in Pakistan. These accounts allegedly share links to Pakistan’s military and intelligence apparatus. Sources involved in drafting the report told News18 that this document triggered a ban on different social media accounts of Pakistan-based celebrities and some foreign nationals. The report was also shared with central agencies.

The source said a “significant number" of accounts disseminated identical or closely-worded content in a well-coordinated time frame. Indian cyber labs reportedly identified the timing of similar content shared within a span of 30 to 40 minutes, with average engagement of over one million.

The official said the posts which carried a distinctly “anti-India" tone were widely amplified. According to News18, initially, around 2,000 and later, 2,300 additional social media accounts were suspended.

Intelligence agencies mentioned in the report that Pakistan’s armed forces and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) created and fuelled the “anti-India" campaign by generating fake content.

“The nature, tone, and timing of the content suggest a deliberate attempt to amplify anti-India narratives. The messaging was uniform, suggesting possible centralised coordination. Pakistan agencies facilitated and fuelled the propaganda, shared by alleged Pakistan-based news portals, further amplified by high-engagement accounts on various social media platforms, including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Facebook," the official told News18 while quoting the report, on the condition of anonymity.

According to the official, multiple identified accounts recorded unusually high engagement levels after the ceasefire with cumulative reach extending into the millions. The coordinated nature of these activities qualified as information warfare and posed a tangible threat to internal stability and the international image," the official said.

Sources told News18 that the fake information was shared mainly from 6 pm to 11 pm to fetch high engagement. Later, the ministry concerned was asked to initiate action on these accounts.

The analysis further revealed that those in the age group of 25 to 40 were the most active users on social media spreading “anti-India" fake content. Some accounts were found to be spreading fake and AI-created audio/video messages on different social media platforms, according to the News18 report.

The report also analysed that the most impactful feeds originated from Pakistan, with the initial 96 hours having the highest engagement.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 by  the Indian Armed Forces. This operation involved precision strikes against terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.