Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has built a round-the-clock social media operation targeting Indian citizens — from influencers chasing viral fame to defence personnel with access to classified data — according to a detailed intelligence assessment reviewed by security officials in New Delhi. The assessment, flagged ahead of anticipated internal security reviews, warns that the ISI and affiliated terror outfits are exploiting social media at a scale that is straining Indian counter-intelligence resources.

Scale and Structure of the Operation

According to officials, the ISI's social media apparatus is not a loose network but a structured, multi-layered operation running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Recruitment and scouting hubs have reportedly been established both inside Pakistan and within India itself, with active modules identified in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. The stated objective, officials say, is to cultivate scores of agents on Indian soil through whom intelligence can flow continuously.

Terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) have been scouting recruits in large numbers, with some operatives specifically tasked with approaching social media influencers and content creators, officials said.

Why Influencers Are the Primary Target

Intelligence Bureau officials say that content creators — particularly those who produce short-video reels — have emerged as the ISI's preferred entry point. 'These persons, in a bid to expand their reach and get more likes, have become the easiest targets,' an official said. The ISI reportedly lures such individuals with engagement (likes, shares) and money, using them to push narratives favourable to Pakistan and to spread disinformation against India.

Indian agencies have reportedly dismantled several influencer-linked modules in recent months. However, officials warn that the scale of recruitment continues to outpace interdiction efforts. 'The problem lies in the scale and the manner in which the ISI is targeting people on social media — it is extremely overwhelming,' one official said.

Honey Trapping: Targeting Defence and Government Personnel

Beyond influencers, the ISI's strategy includes a focused honey-trapping operation directed at officials with access to sensitive government and military information, according to the assessment. Agents reportedly conduct detailed profiling of targets over several months before making contact, studying personal vulnerabilities before setting the trap.

A recent case cited in the assessment involves Indian Air Force Wing Commander M S Sabharwal, who was allegedly honey-trapped by an ISI agent. Investigators found he had allegedly used a personal device to record drone trial firings inside an exercise area. Communications with the ISI agent reportedly included details on the interval between a drone's launch and its arrival at a target — information of direct operational sensitivity.

Post-Operation Sindoor Escalation

Officials say the ISI has been in 'overdrive mode' since Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces' cross-border strike that, according to officials, exposed what they described as Pakistan's nuclear bluff and caused significant embarrassment to Islamabad. In the aftermath, the ISI has reportedly intensified efforts to discredit the Indian military establishment through disinformation campaigns on social media.

'They have found social media to be the easiest tool to carry out this large-scale exercise, and this is proving to be a major headache for the Indian security agencies,' an official said.

The Three-Pronged Strategy

The intelligence assessment outlines a three-part ISI playbook: first, recruiting influencers to shape narratives in Pakistan's favour; second, identifying and compromising officials with access to sensitive Union Government and armed forces data; and third, running coordinated disinformation campaigns to set false narratives against India. Officials acknowledge that Indian agencies are capable of busting such networks but concede that the volume and speed of operations make comprehensive interdiction difficult.

With ISI modules now embedded across multiple Indian states and operations running without pause, security agencies are expected to escalate monitoring protocols — particularly around social media activity linked to defence and government personnel.