The government blocked more than 1400 URLs on digital media, primarily of social media accounts from Pakistan, during Operation Sindoor as they carried misleading and anti-India content, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
He said it was observed that certain social media handles, many operating from outside India, were actively propagating false and potentially harmful information during Operation Sindoor.
“The ministry also issued directions for blocking of over 1,400 URLs on digital media during Operation Sindoor. The content of these URLs included false, misleading, anti-India news content, communally sensitive content primarily from Pakistan-based social media accounts and inciteful content against Indian Armed Forces,” Vaishnaw said in a written reply.
“Under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000, government issued necessary orders to block websites, social media handles and posts in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, and public order,” he said responding to a question from BJP member Tejasvi Surya.
Vaishnaw said the government had also issued an advisory to the media asking all media channels to refrain from showing live coverage of defence operations and movement of security forces in the interest of national security.
He said during Operation Sindoor, a centralized control room was established for interdisciplinary and inter-departmental coordination.
“This Control Room functioned 24×7 and facilitated real-time information dissemination to all media stakeholders,” Vaishnaw said.
He said this control room comprised nodal representatives from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, along with officers from various government media units, and officials from the Press Information Bureau (PIB).
Social media handles and posts spreading fake news and misinformation were actively identified.
Vaishnaw said a fact check unit under the PIB actively monitored social media platforms and online news sources in real time to detect fake images, edited videos, misleading narratives, and any manipulated content targeting the operation’s objectives, government agencies, or security forces.
The unit debunked Pakistani propaganda against India and Indian Armed Forces and fact-checked many posts countering such content.
Additionally, the links related to disinformation or false news concerning Operation Sindoor, fact-checked by the fact check unit, were promptly shared, Vaishnaw said.