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Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Pixels, propaganda, panic: The anatomy of global conflicts in the modern era
In the early hours of May 8, missiles and drones were launched across India's northern and western borders, originating from Pakistan. As India responded to these aerial incursions, another kind of salvo was underway — not of steel and fire, but of pixels and lies. During the conflict, numerous social media accounts — some verified and others anonymous — shared a barrage of images and videos related to the events. Many of them were later identified as doctored, misrepresented, and unverified. The visuals illustrated how, in the modern era, conflicts are no longer just about territory, but narrative. Phase One: The bombardment of visuals The propaganda offensive began almost simultaneously with the military action. An image of a fiery explosion was shared widely, with captions claiming an Indian Air Force base had been struck. It was an old image — from Kabul Airport, August 2021 — but had been strategically selected to evoke urgency and fear. Hours later, another video emerged, purporting to show Hazira Port in Gujarat under attack. It was, in reality, footage of an oil tanker explosion from 2021. Next came a viral video of a supposed drone strike in Jalandhar. This too was a misfire of misinformation — in truth, it depicted a farm blaze, timestamped before any known drone activity. {PAYWALL HERE} Then came a video claiming a Pakistani battalion had destroyed an Indian post, supposedly manned by the '20 Raj Battalion' — a unit that does not exist. The video was flagged and debunked by Indian fact-checkers. According to the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate Crimes, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank based in Washington, video game footage was weaponised as 'evidence' of military victories, in context of airstrikes and military engagements: 'Footage from pre-existing games were edited with text overlays, patriotic soundtracks, and strategic commentary to create battlefield narratives that generated millions of views,' the organisation said in its report, Inside the Misinformation and Disinformation War Between India and Pakistan, published on May 16. Phase Two: The infrastructure of illusion The actors behind these digital salvos are not lone trolls or misguided patriots. Increasingly, they are coordinated networks, employing the techniques of modern marketing: microtargeting, A/B testing, and algorithm gaming 'These are very structured and handled as part of strategic responses around conflicts,' says Subimal Bhattacharjee, a defence and cyber security analyst and former country head of General Dynamics, a global aerospace and defence company. 'You would have dedicated teams building up content that's then disseminated through pre-decided networks, including social media influencers, bot networks, and even paid criminal syndicates to amplify it. This is a kind of parallel warfare.' Tarunima Prabhakar, co-founder of Tattle, a Delhi-based organisation focused on developing citizen-centric tools to track misinformation, agrees that the system is deliberately multi-platform and plays into algorithmic weaknesses across media. 'There's algorithmic amplification on social media. The most sensational, clickbaity content spreads fastest,' she says. 'But even without algorithms, on apps like WhatsApp, people themselves become amplifiers — trying to be the first to share, to be the knowledgeable one in their network.' What's more, she adds, the overlap of television, social media, and encrypted messaging creates a feedback loop that reinforces emotional narratives over factual ones. 'Each medium interacts with the other, whether television, social media, or messaging apps.' Data voids and the vacuum of trust One of the most dangerous dynamics in the May escalation, Prabhakar says, was the role of data voids — a concept describing the information vacuum created when there is a scarcity of verified news on fast-moving events. And in such situations, ordinary citizens are often caught in the crossfire of conflicting narratives. 'The impulse is to panic-scroll, to seek clarity through more consumption. But in this case, the better response might have been to tolerate not knowing,' she says. 'People needed to be okay with knowing less — to not let anxiety force them into the arms of misinformation.' The psychology of panic Dr Itisha Nagar, a Delhi-based psychologist who studies mass behaviour in high-anxiety scenarios, argues that misinformation doesn't just exploit confusion; it provides temporary emotional relief. 'Rumours are not just idle talk; they serve a deep psychological purpose,' she says. 'In times of conflict, they reduce uncertainty and give a false sense of control.' People don't necessarily share information because it's true; they share it because it resonates, Dr Nagar says. 'We are social beings. Rumours help us connect, express concern, and bond emotionally, even if the facts are wrong.' Prabhakar reinforces this point from the technological side. 'In high-emotion events, you have motivated reasoning. People believe what aligns with their ideology. They're not looking for facts; they're looking for affirmation.' Phase three: The damage done What makes digital misinformation so potent during conflicts is its latency — the delay between lie and debunking. A falsehood spreads at the speed of a click; the truth chases it uphill. By the time fact-checkers weigh in, the damage is done: fear escalates, public opinion hardens, and policy discussions are distorted. This latency is magnified by encrypted platforms, where virality cannot be easily monitored or countered. Once again, Dr Nagar warns that the emotional environment created by misinformation is as harmful as the content itself. 'It's counterintuitive, but sharing a rumour can feel like quenching a thirst for predictability, even though it's like drinking saltwater. The more you consume, the thirstier and more anxious you become.' 'Telling people to 'stay calm' in a high-anxiety situation without giving them real information is like putting a sitting duck in a storm and asking it not to shiver,' says Dr Nagar. That's not all, social media also has an impact on diplomacy. Nandan Unnikrishnan, Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi, says all governments are sensitive to public opinion. 'However, it is difficult to distinguish what is real.' 'In India, what you see online is often the view of less than 20% of the population, but those voices end up influencing public perception,' he says. This distortion effect, he warns, turns digital platforms into what he calls a 'different zoo' — an unpredictable ecosystem where anonymous handles, state-run accounts, and bots coexist with genuine public voices. 'It's very difficult to distinguish who's a tool and who's real.' The stakes are particularly high when governments are active participants in this ecosystem, not just as targets but as the sources of content. 'Officials should be careful when they post from personal accounts or under dual-use accounts — where it's not always clear if it's the state speaking, or an individual,' Unnikrishnan says. The counteroffensive Authorities across the world are working towards countering misinformation and disinformation. Cyber commands now sit beside infantry divisions. Fact-checking has become a core pillar of national defence. India's PIB Fact Check unit has moved swiftly to debunk false narratives, but the sheer volume of misinformation makes this a Sisyphean task. For citizens, Prabhakar offers one final suggestion: humility in uncertainty. 'The healthiest thing we could have done,' she says, 'was to be okay with not knowing everything. That, more than anything, might be the antidote to disinformation in the fog of digital war.' Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
No 'fidayeen' attack, no strike on Hazira port: PIB counters fake news flooding social media amid India-Pakistan tensions
PIB fact checks false claims running on social media around escalating India-Pakistan tensions. NEW DELHI: Press Information Bureau's Fact Check Unit has been on a constant debunking job for the last few days, disproving fabricated videos and fake news running on X accounts claiming that India's port in Gujarat was attacked, drone attack in Jalandhar and suicide attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, among other news. Indian post destroyed? An Indian post was claimed to be destroyed by the Pakistani army in one of the fake videos spread online. Operation Sindoor Conflict widens, India targets Lahore, Pindi, Karachi after foiling multiple Pakistani attacks Army foils Pakistan's attempts to send swarm drones across LoC Operation Sindoor: Several airports in India closed - check full list The video was shared and amplified by a number of fake and unverified accounts. PIB found the claim to be completely false and confirmed it to be staged upon verification since there is no unit called '20 Raj Battalion" in the Indian Army. "Staged Video Alert. Fake video is being circulated by Pakistani handles alleging that an Indian post was destroyed by the Pakistani Army. PIB Fact Check : The claim is completely false, and the video is staged. There is no unit called '20 Raj Battalion' in the Indian Army. This is part of a coordinated propaganda campaign aimed at creating panic and misleading the public," it said. Is there a ban on entering airports? A social media post was allegedly shared claiming that entry bans into airports across India. PIB busted and debunked the fake narrative and flagged the same since there was no such decision taken from the government. "Fake News Alert. Social media posts are claiming that entry to airports across India has been banned. #PIBFactCheck. This claim is FAKE. The government has taken no such decision," tweeted PIB on X. Fidayeen attack on Army? Information regarding a fidayeen attack on an Army brigade in J&K's Rajouri was widely shared and circulated. Upon fact-checking, PIB confirmed that no such fidayeen or suicide attack occurred on any army cantonment. The false claims was solely intented to mislead and cause confusion. The video was accordingly flagged. Debunking false narrative being run on suicide attacks under the name of 'fidayeen', PIB said, "Fake news is circulating about a "fidayeen" attack on an Army brigade in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir. PIB Fact Check: No such 'fidayeen' or suicide attack has occurred on any army cantt. Do not fall for these false claims intended to mislead and cause confusion." Attack on Hazira port in Gujarat? Another fake news running on Twitter claimed that Gujarat's Hazira Port has been attacked but PIB fact check investigation confirmed that the video being shared on social media is that of an oil tanker explosion and not attack by Pakistan. "This video is widely circulating on social media with a claim that Hazira Port in Gujarat has been attacked. This is an unrelated video confirmed to depict an oil tanker explosion. The video is dated July 7, 2021. Do not share this video," said PIB fact check on X. Drone attack in Jalandhar? A video of a drone attack in Jalandhar was widely being circulated to create a panic among the masses. PIB investigated the video and found that it was an unrelated video of a farm fire. The video had the timeline of 7.39 pm, while the drone attack began later. The same was backed by the DC of Jalandhar. PIB on X said, "This drone strike video from Jalandhar is widely circulating on social media PIB Fact Check. This is an unrelated video of a farm fire. The video has the time 7.39 PM, while the drone attack began later. Do not share this video. See the clarification from DC, Jalandhar below." Missile attack on India? An old video was shared on Social Media with the claim that Pakistan has launched a missile attack on India in retaliation. PIB upon fact-checking the video busted the disinformation. The video shared was actually of the explosive attack that took place in Beirut, Lebanon in the year 2020. "An old video is being shared on social media with the claim that Pakistan has launched a missile attack on India in retaliation. PIB Fact Check: The video being shared is of the explosive attack that took place in Beirut, Lebanon in the year 2020 Don't fall for the propaganda being spread by Pakistani handles. Rely only on official information," govt said on X. These developments follow heightened India-Pakistan tensions after the army conducted precision strikes under Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to terror attacks on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 people including a Nepali citizen. The operation targeted nine terror facilities in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the government informed in media briefing. The military action focused on destroying infrastructure associated with terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
PIB fact check debunks fake video alleging Indian post destroyed by Pakistani Army
The Press Information Bureau's Fact Check Unit has debunked a fake video circulated by Pakistani handles, falsely claiming the destruction of an Indian post. PIB clarified that the video is staged propaganda, with no such unit as '20 Raj Battalion' existing in the Indian Army. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads New Delhi: The Fact Check Unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) debunked another fake video that was being circulated by PakistX handles, alleging that an Indian post had been destroyed by the Pakistani Army In a post on X, the Fact Check Unit stated that there was no unit called "20 Raj Battalion" in the Indian Army , further adding that the video was part of a coordinated propaganda campaign aimed at creating panic and misleading the public."Staged Video Alert. Fake video is being circulated by Pakistani handles alleging that an Indian post was destroyed by the #Pakistani Army #PIBFactCheck: The claim is completely false, and the video is staged. There is no unit called '20 Raj Battalion' in the # is part of a coordinated propaganda campaign aimed at creating panic and misleading the public," the post the Fact Check Unit had also clarified that claims on social media about a ban on entry to airports across the country were a post on X, the Fact Check Unit wrote, "Fake News Alert. Social media posts are claiming that entry to airports across India has been banned. #PIBFactCheck. This claim is #FAKE. The government has taken no such decision."This comes amid the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan after precision strikes were launched by the Indian Army under Operation Sindoor on May attack targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), according to Indian strikes were aimed at infrastructure linked to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. The operation was carried out in response to the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 innocent civilians.
