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In the wake of Operation Sindoor, social media platforms have been flooded with a massive wave of misinformation, forcing fact-checkers to work around the clock to separate truth from fiction. The digital landscape has become a battleground of competing narratives, with hundreds of thousands of posts spreading across various platforms.
As of Wednesday, hashtags related to the operation had generated staggering engagement on X (formerly Twitter). #OperationSindoor led with 885,000 posts, while #IndiaPakistanWar and #IndianArmy generated 215,000 and 399,000 posts respectively. Instagram and Facebook users have been sharing videos purportedly showing missile strikes and bombardments, falsely attributing them to the operation.
“From falsely attributing old air force jet crashes to creating manufactured videos and images, Pakistan’s disinformation machine has been working overtime. We have debunked and fact checked many of their claims,” said Saurabh Shukla, editor-in-chief of NewsMobile.
The Indian government has actively responded to the disinformation campaign. The Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking account (@PIBFactCheck) identified Pakistani accounts sharing video of an aircraft crash, falsely claiming Pakistan had shot down an Indian fighter plane. The PIB clarified that the video actually showed a February 2025 crash of an Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 aircraft near Shivpuri, Gwalior during a routine training mission.
Jency Jacob, managing editor at fact-checking website BOOM, noted that following the circulation of videos and images of the Indian operation, numerous accounts began sharing old and unrelated footage of airstrikes, some of which originated from the conflict in Gaza.
“Social media accounts from both sides of the border have been playing up the conflict though we saw a higher proportion of falsehoods from Pakistan either claiming attacks on locations that were found to be untrue, or old footage as proof of their forces attacking India,” Jacob explained.
BOOM’s fact-checking efforts revealed multiple instances of deliberate misinformation. Their team discovered a viral video that had been doctored by adding footage from an unrelated IAF jet crash in Gujarat onto an old news bulletin. Additionally, they found that a video showing Iran’s missile strike on Israel was being falsely linked to Operation Sindoor. Even some media outlets fell victim to the misinformation, inadvertently sharing footage from Gaza while reporting on the operation.
Mohammed Zubair, fact checker and co-founder of Alt News, has been particularly active in identifying Pakistani propaganda accounts masquerading as Indian army personnel. Zubair has also debunked several old videos from the Gaza conflict that were being falsely presented as footage from Pakistan.
The proliferation of misinformation during military operations is not a new phenomenon, but the scale and speed at which false content can spread across today’s digital landscape presents unique challenges. Social media platforms have struggled to contain the flood of misleading content, despite their stated policies against misinformation.
The situation highlights the critical importance of digital literacy and verification skills among social media users. Security analysts note that during times of heightened military tension, misinformation can escalate conflicts by inflaming public opinion and creating pressure on governments to take more aggressive actions.
“In a war like situation, fact checking becomes even more important and we have been working round the clock to look for such mischievous posts to ensure they don’t lead people to panic,” Shukla emphasized, underlining the critical role fact-checkers play during times of international tension.
As the situation continues to develop, experts recommend that users verify information through multiple reliable sources before sharing content related to the operation, and exercise particular caution with dramatic videos and images that emerge during times of conflict.
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18 Comments
I’m glad to see the Indian government is actively responding to this disinformation campaign. Fact-checking and debunking false claims is important, but more proactive measures are needed to prevent this in the first place.
Absolutely. Governments and tech companies need to work together to improve transparency and accountability around online content. Otherwise, the spread of misinformation will continue to undermine public discourse.
The proliferation of misinformation around sensitive events like this is extremely worrying. It’s clear that social media platforms need to do much more to combat coordinated disinformation campaigns and limit the spread of false claims. Fact-checking and debunking efforts are important, but more proactive measures are needed.
I agree. The scale of this campaign, with hundreds of thousands of posts, shows the level of sophistication and coordination involved. Stronger content moderation policies, improved detection of inauthentic behavior, and closer collaboration between platforms, governments, and fact-checkers are all essential to address this challenge.
This is a clear example of how social media can be weaponized for political and ideological gain. The scale and coordination of this misinformation campaign is deeply concerning. Stronger content moderation and fact-checking processes are urgently needed.
Absolutely. The use of manufactured media content to spread false narratives is particularly insidious. Improving digital forensics and authentication capabilities is crucial to countering these tactics. Collaboration between platforms, governments, and fact-checkers is essential.
This is really concerning. Social media platforms need to do more to combat the spread of misinformation, especially around sensitive geopolitical events. It’s crucial that people have access to reliable, fact-based information.
Agreed. Platforms need robust content moderation and fact-checking processes to identify and remove false claims quickly. Relying on users to spot misinformation is not enough.
It’s disappointing but not surprising to see Pakistan’s disinformation efforts. Generating fake videos and images is a common tactic to sow confusion and discredit opponents. Fact-checkers have a tough job ahead of them.
Yes, the scale of this misinformation campaign is staggering. Hundreds of thousands of posts in a short time – that’s a massive coordinated effort. Staying vigilant and separating truth from fiction is crucial.
It’s troubling to see how quickly misinformation can spread on social media, especially around sensitive geopolitical events. Fact-checkers and governments have an uphill battle, but it’s critical that they stay vigilant and respond quickly to debunk false claims.
Agreed. Misinformation can have real-world impacts, so the platforms and authorities need to work together to improve transparency, accountability, and the speed of response. Proactive measures to limit the spread of coordinated disinformation campaigns are essential.
Interesting to see the specific tactics being used, like falsely attributing old footage. That level of coordination and planning shows how sophisticated these disinformation campaigns have become. Fact-checkers have their work cut out for them.
Absolutely. The use of manufactured videos and images is particularly concerning, as it can be very difficult for the average user to spot. Improved digital forensics and authentication tools are needed to counter these tactics.
The sheer scale of the engagement around these hashtags is mind-boggling. Hundreds of thousands of posts in a short time – that’s a massive coordinated effort to spread misinformation. Social platforms need to do more to limit the reach of these campaigns.
Agreed. The platforms need to invest heavily in AI-powered detection and removal of coordinated inauthentic behavior. Allowing this kind of content to spread unchecked undermines public discourse and can have serious real-world consequences.
This is a great example of how social media can be weaponized to spread propaganda and false narratives. Platforms need to invest heavily in proactive detection and removal of coordinated disinformation campaigns.
I agree. Allowing this kind of misinformation to spread unchecked undermines public trust and can have real-world consequences. Stronger content moderation policies and collaboration with fact-checkers are essential.