Army relaxes social media rules allows view-only access

In a transformative shift towards digital engagement, the Indian Army has revised its social media policy, permitting its officers and soldiers to access select platforms, including Instagram and X. The move, however, comes with strict guidelines, allowing personnel to only view and monitor content while prohibiting posting, commenting, or online interaction, in order to safeguard operational security.
The letter issued by the Army authorities states that with immediate effect, the use of Instagram, for purposes of viewing and monitoring only, by personnel of the Indian Army has been permitted. “No comments, views will be communicated on Instagram,” the letter stated.
Further, listing the limited use of the social media, the Army has instructed to use Skype, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Signal for the exchange of unclassified info of a general nature, contents permitted. The letter further stated that the contents to be exchanged only with known persons, with the responsibility of correctly identifying the recipient lying with the user.
For microblogging platform X, Quora, Instagram, and YouTube, only passive participation to obtain knowledge or information has been permitted. The new guidelines restrict the uploading of user-generated content and messages.
The Army has authorised its personnel to use LinkedIn, the employment-oriented social networking service primarily used for professional networking and career development. However, the platform is to be used only for uploading of resume for obtaining information on potential employees and employers. However, prior permission from the Permission be sought from Directorate General of Military Intelligence (DGMI).
The recent amendment also advises the personnel not to access or use generic sites, those with cracked, pirated software, free movie, Torrent & VPN Software’ and web proxies, anonymised websites, chat rooms and file transfer sites. “The cloud data storing sites may also be used with extreme caution,” the letter read.
In July 2020, the Indian Army had imposed a sweeping ban on 89 mobile applications, among them Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, as part of a broader push to curb potential data leaks and strengthen its cybersecurity framework. The force continues to maintain strict controls over online activity, with detailed social media guidelines designed to safeguard sensitive information and prevent any unauthorised disclosure that could compromise national security.
Recently, Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi has spoken about the use of social media sites. Stating that there was a difference between reacting and responding, the Army chief said, “Reacting means you want to give an immediate, quick answer. Responding means thinking about it, analysing it seriously, and then giving a reply. We don’t want our soldiers to get involved in this, so we have told them that we will only allow you to use Twitter [X] for viewing. Don’t reply to anything right now. Reply after you retire. You can view it; there’s no problem with that. I think there’s a difference between reacting and responding. And this is a very big message for our adversaries. We don’t react, we respond.” 

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Courtesy: Daily Excelsior -26-Dec-2025