A network of social media profiles pretending to be Sikhs and promoting division has been exposed in a new report.
80 fake accounts have so-far been identified and subsequently suspended… with the operation spanning across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
The profiles were being used to promote Hindu nationalism and pro-Indian government narratives.
According to the report’s author, the aim of the network was to “alter perceptions on important issues around Sikh independence, human rights and values”.
At this stage, there is no link between the social accounts and the Indian government.
Known as “sock-puppets” – the accounts were controlled by real people as opposed to automated “bots”.
A number of hashtags were used in the social media campaign… including RealSikh to endorse messages, and #FakeSikh to discredit differing political opinions.
