Indeed, social media has become both a helpful tool and a battlefield following the evolution of technology. Battles are no longer restricted to actual borders; screens and social media feeds have become the new battlegrounds for gaining global attention. Professionals label this as “information warfare” or “fifth-generation warfare.” TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Discord, and X have become arenas where each side pursues control of the narrative, using documentaries, clips, and posts as its tools.

Disinformation is the first weapon to be deployed in times of conflict.

Every “like,” “share,” and “comment” contributes to influencing the public and amplifying the voices of both followers and critics internationally. Cut in short, “disinformation has been weaponized globally.” With the evolution of social media, building a narrative and countering the propaganda of the opposing country has become very easy, but social media also has its disadvantages.

The flow of information on social media is mostly unauthorized and unofficial. A lot of disinformation circulates during times of war, which affects the state’s narrative. Over half of adults globally consider social media platforms a credible source of news. Still, as a drawback of this technology, inaccurate information can reach thousands of people within minutes, affecting current events. Disinformation is the first weapon to be deployed in times of conflict. The constant flow of disinformation can lead to confusion and uncertainty among the people to whom to trust.

Uncertainty leads to procrastination and causes society to stand still at a moment when the world most requires its help. Cheers to Cyberspace and social platforms; disinformation spreads faster and has a more profound influence today than ever before. Another factor is that most social media handlers ignore the ground realities and are more focused on the popularity and algorithms of the content, which is a “causality of truth.”

For example, in the ongoing conflict between Pakistan and India, social media has especially emerged as a crucial tool for both countries to counter-narratives and uncover facts. However, this has also led to the spread of disinformation and misinformation, exacerbating the situation. The intensity of the conflict has given rise to a media war, with both sides engaging in a battle of narratives.

Social media doesn’t just blur the truth; it reshapes how people perceive war, pain, and the enemy.

Not long after India declared Operation Sindoor, the armed offensive against Pakistan prompted by a radical attack in Kashmir that Delhi held Islamabad responsible for, rumours of significant Pakistani losses began to mingle online. It started as disparate disinformation on social media and soon became a cacophony of declarations about India’s military strength, broadcast as “breaking news” and “exclusives” on the state’s major news programs. According to these posts and reports, India had variously shot down multiple Pakistani jets, captured a Pakistani pilot as well as Karachi port, and taken over the Pakistani city of Lahore.

Another false claim was that Pakistan’s powerful military chief had been arrested, and a coup had taken place. “We’ll be having breakfast in Rawalpindi tomorrow,” was a widely shared post amid hostilities, referring to the Pakistani city where its military is headquartered. Many of these claims were accompanied by footage of explosions, crumbling structures, and missiles being shot from the sky. The problem was, none of them were true.

On the other hand, old and AI-generated clips allegedly showing Pakistani military victories, circulating extensively on social platforms and then amplified by both its mainstream media and respected journalists to make fake claims such as the detention of an Indian pilot, a rebellion in the Indian army and Pakistani missiles wiping out India’s front defences.

There were also widely circulated fake reports that a cyber-attack by Pakistan had destroyed most of the Indian power supply chains and that Indian armed forces had upstretched a white flag in acceptance of defeat. In particular, video game simulations proved to be a popular tool in spreading disinformation about Pakistan, “delivering justice” against India.

Disinformation is a direct threat to human rights.

An article published on the “social media war” that surrounded the India-Pakistan conflict, released by the civil society organization The London Story, emphasizes how “X and Facebook “became fertile ground for the spread of war narratives, hate speech, and emotionally manipulative disinformation” and “drivers of nationalist incitement” in both countries.

In a written statement, a spokesperson for Meta, the owner of Facebook, said it had taken “significant steps to fight the spread of disinformation”, including removing content and labelling and reducing the reach of stories marked as false by their fact-checkers.

The falsification of realities doesn’t just blur the truth; it shapes people’s perception of how they view a conflict, restraining absolute misery and making it comfortable to see others in pain and as “the enemy.” “Disinformation is a direct threat to human rights”.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.