Foreign Disinformation Campaigns Target India with Unprecedented Scale in February 2026

India faced an extraordinary wave of coordinated disinformation in February 2026, as foreign-based actors flooded social media with fabricated content designed to undermine national stability and inflame tensions.

Intelligence analysts identified 63 separate incidents of false information targeting political leadership, military operations, public health systems, and communal harmony. Most originated from accounts based in Pakistan, with additional sources traced to North Africa, West Asia, and parts of North America.

“We’re seeing unprecedented sophistication in these campaigns,” said a senior intelligence official who requested anonymity. “The combination of AI-generated content and strategic narrative manipulation presents a serious challenge to information integrity.”

The disinformation predominantly circulated on X (formerly Twitter), where accounts with minimal following but high posting frequency shared doctored videos, manipulated images, and fabricated news stories. Many posts targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and key Union ministers, portraying them in misleading contexts or attributing false statements to them.

One widely shared manipulated video falsely showed French President Emmanuel Macron criticizing the Indian Air Force during his February state visit. In reality, Macron’s visit strengthened the India-France strategic partnership with discussions on defense cooperation and technology collaboration.

Military and security narratives featured prominently, with multiple false claims of attacks on Indian Army and CRPF personnel in sensitive regions like Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, and Rajouri. Analysis showed these posts often recycled footage from unrelated past events, deliberately misdating them to create a false sense of crisis.

“The coordination suggests a centralized strategy,” noted Dr. Samir Patil, security analyst at Gateway House. “These aren’t random posts but part of an orchestrated campaign to project India as unstable and its security forces as ineffective.”

The disinformation campaigns took advantage of existing ethnic tensions in Manipur, where several false narratives claimed independence declarations, Indian Army withdrawals, and helicopter seizures by militants—all fabricated.

Public health disinformation also emerged, including unfounded claims of avian influenza cases and manipulated statements about technological developments. Financial scams impersonated government endorsements, while religious and communal narratives sought to provoke social discord.

Fact-checking organizations rapidly debunked these claims through verification techniques including digital forensics, official source confirmation, and chronological analysis. The Press Information Bureau issued multiple clarifications, while military and diplomatic sources provided accurate information to counter the false narratives.

Digital security experts recommend heightened vigilance from social media users. “Always verify before sharing content, especially during geopolitical tensions,” advised Rakshit Tandon, cybersecurity consultant. “Check multiple sources and official channels before accepting claims that provoke strong emotional responses.”

The campaigns highlight growing concerns about information warfare in South Asia, where digital platforms increasingly serve as battlegrounds for narrative control between competing regional powers.

“What we’re seeing is the weaponization of social media to create confusion and undermine trust in institutions,” said Maya Mirchandani, media studies professor at Ashoka University. “The real target isn’t just public opinion but the foundations of democratic discourse itself.”

As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, distinguishing between authentic and manipulated media will likely become increasingly challenging, requiring both institutional responses and public awareness to maintain information integrity.