ENEMY ON THE MOBILE: THE NEED TO STOP AND COUNTER THE PROPAGANDA WAR ON SOCIAL MEDIA Part 2

 

Targeting National Institutions

Election Commission: Undermining faith in democratic processes

Free and fair elections are the foundation of Indian democracy. Any sustained campaign portraying the Election Commission of India as systematically biased or incapable of conducting credible elections can weaken public confidence in the democratic process.

Potential methods include:

• Circulating fabricated claims of electronic voting machine manipulation without credible evidence.
• Using old videos of polling irregularities and presenting them as current incidents.
• Misrepresenting election-related court proceedings and official announcements.
• Creating fake documents alleging manipulation of electoral rolls.
• Coordinating social media campaigns to portray every unfavourable election result as evidence of institutional conspiracy.

The Election Commission must remain open to scrutiny, complaints.

However, genuine criticism and deliberate disinformation must be distinguished.

Countermeasure: The Election Commission should have a rapid-response digital communication mechanism that publishes verified information, responds to significant allegations, releases accessible evidence and explains electoral procedures in regional languages.

Government: Creating an impression of administrative failure

Government policies and decisions are often complicated. Their objectives, implementation and outcomes may not be immediately understood by ordinary citizens.

This creates opportunities for misleading narratives.

Organised information  can:

• Present a government policy without its original context.
• Circulate fabricated government orders and notifications.
• Misrepresent economic statistics and development indicators.
• Present isolated administrative failures as evidence of total government collapse.
• Spread false claims about national security decisions, border developments or diplomatic setbacks.
• Create panic through fabricated announcements concerning fuel, banking, food supplies or public emergencies.

During a national security crisis, such misinformation can be particularly damaging. False reports about military casualties, ammunition shortages, territorial losses or operational decisions may affect public morale and create unnecessary confusion.

Countermeasure: Every major government department should have a designated digital communication and fact-verification team. Important decisions must be communicated promptly, clearly and consistently through official channels.

Judiciary: Eroding confidence in the rule of law

The independence of the judiciary is fundamental to constitutional democracy.

Disinformation campaigns may attempt to undermine judicial credibility by:

• Circulating fabricated extracts from court judgments.
• Misrepresenting judicial observations as final verdicts.
• Falsely attributing political motives to judges.
• Using edited videos of court proceedings to create misleading impressions.
• Creating conspiracy theories around sensitive judicial decisions.

Judicial institutions must be open to legitimate public discussion and criticism. However, fabricated judgments and deliberately distorted court proceedings can mislead citizens and undermine respect for the rule of law.

Countermeasure: Courts and authorised judicial communication channels should make authentic judgments, orders and clarifications easily accessible. Important developments in sensitive cases should be explained through verified official information without compromising judicial independence or ongoing proceedings.

Police and Central Armed Police Forces: Creating distrust in internal security

The police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are at the forefront of maintaining internal security.

They deal with terrorism, insurgency, organised crime, communal violence, border management and public order.

A deliberate propaganda campaign against these institutions can have several consequences:

• A fabricated video showing police brutality may provoke public anger and violent protests.
• An isolated incident may be presented as the normal conduct of an entire police force.
• False allegations against security personnel create distrust between citizens and law enforcement agencies.
• Misleading reports about casualties or operational failures may affect the morale of personnel.
• Fake messages about communal or regional discrimination may aggravate local tensions.

During counter-terrorism or counter-insurgency operations, misinformation can also compromise public cooperation and create operational difficulties.

Countermeasure: Police headquarters and CAPF formations should establish trained media-response cells. These cells should issue verified information promptly, correct fabricated claims and communicate the facts surrounding major security incidents.

At the same time, genuine complaints of misconduct must be investigated independently. Protecting institutional credibility does not mean shielding individuals from accountability.

Indian Army: Targeting national pride and military morale

The Indian Army enjoys considerable public trust. Their credibility, morale and public support are important elements of national security.

Hostile information campaigns may attempt to exploit sensitive military developments to:

• Spread fabricated reports of battlefield defeats.
• Circulate fake statements attributed to serving or retired military commanders.
• Present old photographs of military equipment losses as current events.
• Manufacture controversies concerning operational preparedness.
• Create false impressions of differences between the Army, Navy and Air Force.
• Question the competence and integrity of military leadership through manipulated material.

Such campaigns may have two audiences: Indian citizens and foreign observers.

Their purpose may be to reduce public confidence in India's military preparedness while projecting an exaggerated image of the adversary's capabilities.

During an actual conflict, this becomes particularly dangerous. False battlefield reports can affect public morale, create pressure on political leadership and provide an adversary with opportunities to exploit confusion.

Countermeasure: The Ministry of Defence and the three Services should strengthen their coordinated public communication systems. Verified operational information should be released through authorised channels, while sensitive military information must remain protected.

Retired military personnel, defence analysts and responsible media organisations can also help explain military developments and expose fabricated narratives without disclosing classified information.