The India-Pakistan Information War: A Case Study in Modern Conflict
The recent conflict between India and Pakistan, sparked by the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, transcended traditional military engagements. A parallel, equally potent battle unfolded in the digital realm, across social media platforms and mainstream news outlets. A new report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), titled "Inside the Misinformation and Disinformation War Between India and Pakistan," provides a detailed analysis of this information war, revealing a strategic and iterative campaign fueled by both social media and amplified by traditional media.
The CSOH report, based on the analysis of 1,200 social media posts, reveals the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, often originating from verified accounts and metastasizing across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The sheer volume and velocity of fabricated content were staggering, ranging from fake airstrike videos and AI-generated videos of political leaders conceding defeat to manipulated screenshots of nonexistent news articles and repurposed footage from unrelated conflicts. The study highlights the alarmingly low rate of community notes or fact-checking on X, demonstrating the platforms’ struggle to keep pace with the deluge of false information. Out of 437 posts containing misinformation, only 73 had community notes.
The report emphasizes that the danger lies not just in the creation of disinformation, but in its dissemination and legitimization. Mainstream news outlets played a critical role in this process, often reporting unverified information circulating on social media. This created a dangerous feedback loop: false narratives originating on social media were picked up by news organizations, lending them credibility, and then re-circulated back onto social media with the imprimatur of established newsrooms. This cycle, driven by the pressure of 24/7 news cycles and the prioritization of speed over accuracy, transformed fringe conspiracy theories into "reported" events.
This feedback loop was observed repeatedly throughout the conflict. A video game clip from Arma 3, depicting fictional fighter jets, was presented on X as Pakistani jets penetrating Indian airspace. After gaining traction online, the clip was shared by Pakistani journalists. Similarly, Indian news outlets broadcast a clip from a 2023 naval drill, falsely claiming it depicted an Indian attack on Karachi Port. These examples illustrate the potent combination of social media virality and journalistic amplification, turning fabricated narratives into widely accepted “facts.”
The consequences of this disinformation ecosystem are far-reaching. The spread of false narratives fueled public animosity, influenced military responses, and hampered diplomatic efforts. A prime example is the online harassment targeted at Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family following the ceasefire. The disconnect between the narrative of Indian military dominance propagated online and the reality of the ceasefire led to misplaced anger and personal attacks, forcing Misri to lock his X account.
The role of verified accounts on X in amplifying disinformation deserves particular scrutiny. The blue checkmark, originally intended as a marker of authenticity, has become a symbol of influence, particularly under the platform’s new subscription model. The CSOH report found that a significant portion of viral disinformation originated from verified accounts, many belonging to Hindu nationalist influencers who actively encouraged the spread of unverified claims as a form of "electronic warfare" or "information warfare." This highlights the structural flaws within the business models of social media platforms, which prioritize engagement and virality over accuracy and truth.
The rise of AI-generated content presents an additional challenge. Traditional verification methods like reverse image searches and metadata analysis are ineffective against synthetic media. AI-generated videos mimicking leaders’ speech patterns, fabricated images purporting to be on-the-ground reporting, and voice-cloned statements from political figures blur the lines between reality and fabrication. The intent is not simply to spread misinformation, but to destabilize the very notion of truth, making it increasingly difficult to discern fact from fiction.
Combating this complex threat requires a multi-pronged approach. Media organizations must move beyond treating social media platforms as neutral information sources and implement rigorous fact-checking protocols, especially during crises. Journalists need training in digital verification techniques and should prioritize independent confirmation over relying on trending topics as a proxy for truth. Editorial teams should be vigilant in tracking the provenance of visual content and transparent about the verification status of their reporting.
Platform accountability is equally crucial. Verification should not be a paid feature, but a fundamental requirement for all accounts. Real-time labeling of synthetic media using metadata or watermarking systems is essential. Platforms must publish conflict-specific transparency reports detailing not only content takedowns, but also the reasons behind them and what content remains online. Crucially, algorithms that prioritize engagement over verified information should be re-evaluated during conflicts, where the stakes are significantly higher.
The India-Pakistan conflict serves as a stark reminder of the evolving nature of modern warfare, where digital propaganda operates in tandem with military action. Disinformation is no longer a peripheral element but an integral part of conflict strategy, designed to destabilize, provoke, and polarize. This case study offers valuable lessons for future conflicts, underscoring the urgent need for regulation, journalistic adaptation, and platform reform to address the evolving threat of disinformation. The convergence of military escalation and digital manipulation has created a new battlefield where journalists, influencers, AI tools, and platform algorithms all play a role. Failure to adapt to this new reality will leave us vulnerable to further cycles of conflict fueled by manufactured narratives, with potentially devastating consequences, particularly in a nuclear-armed region.