Indian intelligence warns of deepfake videos targeting Army amid protests
Indian intelligence agencies warned of a coordinated campaign using AI-generated deepfake videos to target the Indian Army and spread misinformation during nationwide protests over a NEET exam paper leak. The fabricated videos, reportedly circulated by hostile elements to provoke violence and undermine public confidence in state institutions, were detected and flagged by security agencies.
What happened
Intelligence agencies warned of a coordinated deepfake campaign targeting the Indian Army during ongoing Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protests over the NEET-UG paper leak. Several fabricated and misleading videos were detected being widely shared online, with some depicting uniformed personnel making political remarks.
According to intelligence officials, hostile elements aimed to exploit the volatile protest situation by flooding social media with deepfake and AI-generated videos falsely presented as messages from police or Army personnel, with the objective of provoking violence and deepening public unrest.
Reported impact
Intelligence agencies identified the Indian Army as the likely primary target of the disinformation campaign, noting that public trust in military forces makes them vulnerable. Officials stated that swift action against such posts was needed, as longer circulation on social media would cause greater damage and erode public confidence in key state institutions.
Index analysis
Security agencies began identifying and flagging manipulated posts and fabricated content circulating on social media platforms. Intelligence officials noted the pattern was similar to previous campaigns, including those allegedly backed by Pakistani intelligence during Operation Sindoor.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.