London: A UK report has identified a network of fake social media accounts, including Common. is used Sikh Nicknames that advance the statement that Sikh independence advocates are terrorists, that Pakistan supports and supports the Khalistan movement, that “real Sikhs” support the Indian government, that Khalistanis Farmers protests have been hijacked and the UK, US and Canada are harboring Sikh terrorist groups, thus threatening India.
The report’s authors could not identify those behind the fake networks without access to data held by social media companies. There is no evidence that the Government of India is involved.
The report from the London-based Social Enterprise Center for Information Resilience, titled “Analysis of the #RealSikh Influence Operation”, identifies a coordinated influencer operation of 80 “sock puppet” accounts with over 164,000 combined followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Is. , which target and interact with the broad network of authentic accounts that advance these narratives.
The report warned that this activity risks undermining cohesion within the Sikh community, undermining trust between India’s various religious communities, and stirring up cultural tensions in India and abroad, which will ultimately undermine India’s stability. can do
“The network’s advocacy that supporters of Sikh independence are extremists or terrorists, and that Indian nationalists should take action against them, may contribute to an environment in which some actors intimidate the Sikh community, or view violence as legitimate,” the report warns. gives.
CIR’s co-founder and executive director, Adam Rutland, said the report “clearly shows signs of an information war against minorities in India”.
The use of Sikh names with stolen celebrity profile pictures, and claiming to be both “real Sikhs and proud Indian” in their biographical fields, indicates that fake accounts were seen on the Sikh agenda as Sikhs for their narratives. should go. be effective, the report said.
Several accounts post highly supportive content of the Indian government, particularly the Indian Defense Force, and use similar spam hashtags such as “#RealSikhsAgainstKhalistan”.
“The fake accounts do not show signs of automation, but appear to be human-driven. The core network is backed by a large network of authentic accounts, who primarily identify as Hindu nationalists,” the report said.
The narratives repeatedly pushed by the operation include asserting that one is a “real Sikh” or a “fake Sikh” and arguing that Sikh independence is not in line with the values of a “real” Sikh.
Tweets from fake accounts have often been liked or replied to by verified accounts and some have been embedded in real news articles. A tweet from the now suspended Twitter account showing the picture of two British Sikh MPs – Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi And Preet Gill – which said: “Dear Khalistanis, good that you finally found your proper Khalistan in the UK and Canada”, has garnered over 16,000 likes and over 2,000 retweets.
“I have had an uphill struggle to challenge the misinformation being shared about me, and it has taken a toll on my mental health,” Gill said. “This report confirms what we have experienced in the Sikh community for some time, that there is a coordinated campaign on social media to defame the Sikh community.”
Dhesi described the network as a “two bucks-a-tweet Twitter troll factory in overdrive” and praised the report as “an excellent exposé”.
Sikh Federation (UK) president Bhai Amrik Singh claimed: “In our view those exposed behind the network may be directly or indirectly linked to the Indian government. To the US administration, the UK government, Canadian authorities and others.” Must take action.” Jasvir Singh, from the Sikh Press Association, said it is a “very welcome resource that will be cited by Sikhs around the world for years to come”.
The report’s authors could not identify those behind the fake networks without access to data held by social media companies. There is no evidence that the Government of India is involved.
The report from the London-based Social Enterprise Center for Information Resilience, titled “Analysis of the #RealSikh Influence Operation”, identifies a coordinated influencer operation of 80 “sock puppet” accounts with over 164,000 combined followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Is. , which target and interact with the broad network of authentic accounts that advance these narratives.
The report warned that this activity risks undermining cohesion within the Sikh community, undermining trust between India’s various religious communities, and stirring up cultural tensions in India and abroad, which will ultimately undermine India’s stability. can do
“The network’s advocacy that supporters of Sikh independence are extremists or terrorists, and that Indian nationalists should take action against them, may contribute to an environment in which some actors intimidate the Sikh community, or view violence as legitimate,” the report warns. gives.
CIR’s co-founder and executive director, Adam Rutland, said the report “clearly shows signs of an information war against minorities in India”.
The use of Sikh names with stolen celebrity profile pictures, and claiming to be both “real Sikhs and proud Indian” in their biographical fields, indicates that fake accounts were seen on the Sikh agenda as Sikhs for their narratives. should go. be effective, the report said.
Several accounts post highly supportive content of the Indian government, particularly the Indian Defense Force, and use similar spam hashtags such as “#RealSikhsAgainstKhalistan”.
“The fake accounts do not show signs of automation, but appear to be human-driven. The core network is backed by a large network of authentic accounts, who primarily identify as Hindu nationalists,” the report said.
The narratives repeatedly pushed by the operation include asserting that one is a “real Sikh” or a “fake Sikh” and arguing that Sikh independence is not in line with the values of a “real” Sikh.
Tweets from fake accounts have often been liked or replied to by verified accounts and some have been embedded in real news articles. A tweet from the now suspended Twitter account showing the picture of two British Sikh MPs – Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi And Preet Gill – which said: “Dear Khalistanis, good that you finally found your proper Khalistan in the UK and Canada”, has garnered over 16,000 likes and over 2,000 retweets.
“I have had an uphill struggle to challenge the misinformation being shared about me, and it has taken a toll on my mental health,” Gill said. “This report confirms what we have experienced in the Sikh community for some time, that there is a coordinated campaign on social media to defame the Sikh community.”
Dhesi described the network as a “two bucks-a-tweet Twitter troll factory in overdrive” and praised the report as “an excellent exposé”.
Sikh Federation (UK) president Bhai Amrik Singh claimed: “In our view those exposed behind the network may be directly or indirectly linked to the Indian government. To the US administration, the UK government, Canadian authorities and others.” Must take action.” Jasvir Singh, from the Sikh Press Association, said it is a “very welcome resource that will be cited by Sikhs around the world for years to come”.
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