In recent weeks, the social media space between India and Pakistan has become a war zone. Misinformation and manipulated media are fire-leading this metamorphosis. As experts tell us, this new digital conflict fuels the fire that is influencing public opinion. Perhaps more importantly, it affects the psychological dimensions of warfare. As social media platforms grow to be the primary sources of information, the trustworthiness of that information is being called into question.
A recent Other America study of 437 posts on X (formerly Twitter) uncovered disturbing patterns in the spread of false, anti-union narratives. Of those studied, 179 came from legitimate accounts meaning that the scale of the problem is significant. Nighat Dad, founder of the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), emphasized that “misinformation is helping change the narrative, it’s helping win wars.” This claim not only reflects a new way of waging war, it highlights the profound misuse of warfare in today’s information age.
It all blew up when a newly married couple posted a video claiming they were still alive, after false reports began circulating that they had died. Despite their efforts to debunk the misinformation, Sara Imran noted that “even with the couple debunking the video, it still spread like wildfire.” This unfortunate incident serves as one of many examples of how quickly and widely misinformation can spread despite efforts to set the story straight.
The Role of Misinformation in Psychological Warfare
Raqib Hameed Naik—also a central player in this discussion—brought attention to the psychological aspect of misinformation. He stated, “If it psychologically hurts the other side, it doesn’t matter if it’s fake.” This perspective underscores a critical aspect of modern warfare: the importance of perception over truth. Misinformation is a weapon, designed to sow emotional and psychological discord.
Additionally, both India and Pakistan have faced an increase in false content that distorts military power. An invented news story declaring Pakistan’s Air Force as the “king of the skies” went viral in seconds. This article was incorrectly attached to The Daily Telegraph, which indeed has never run such incendiary claims. This incident should be an example of how quickly and dangerously misinformation can appear as legitimate news.
Nighat Dad described this phenomenon in more detail when she shared an AI-generated video that falsely suggested Pakistan’s prime minister had conceded defeat. She remarked, “Honestly, it was one of the most convincing deepfakes I’ve seen.” These kinds of sophisticated manipulations hardly bode well for both media literacy and trust among news sources going forward.
The Impact of AI and Technology
Artificial intelligence is now making it easier than ever for bad actors to game the system and perpetrate this information war on a larger scale. A recent AI-generated video went viral, showing General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary, the spokesperson of the Pakistan Army. In the video, he practically confesses to the loss of two fighter jets. This new use of technology makes the already difficult task of telling real news from fake news all the more tricky.
Naik pointed out that “the system of checks and community notes [on X] failed miserably, especially during the conflict.” Once again, this major failure underscores the urgent need for stronger verification protocols across social media platforms. Given how quickly misinformation circulates in times of war, including intentionally spread disinformation, the need for strong fact-checking teams has become urgent to fight against dangerous false narratives.
The Digital Rights Foundation has kept track of many examples of these false accusations that Kashmiri civilians are harboring terrorists. These made-up narratives not only increase tensions between communities, but they create a climate of mistrust.
A Call for Stricter Verification Protocols
In the wake of this incident, these experts are calling on news organizations and social media platforms to enforce stronger verification processes. In previous iterations of BOOM Live, we’ve urged organizations to favor accuracy over haste when covering inflammatory events. We hope this call for diligence will help make sure that truth, not misinformation, wins out in those essential moments.
Nighat Dad emphasized that “truth becomes the casualty of war and cross-border disinformation and fact-checking units are needed.” This statement highlights an essential truth: misinformation not only misleads individuals but can lead to dangerous consequences in real-world conflicts.
Additionally, /civil society/ remains highly critical of India’s blocking regime for its severe lack of transparency in regards to the spread of information. Dad noted that “civil society has long criticised India’s blocking regime for its opacity, lack of transparency and absence of due process.” These types of critiques are really indicative of an alarming trend about how governments treat information during war.
