The Indian Army has revised its social media policy, allowing personnel limited access to platforms such as Instagram under clearly defined conditions. The change was announced on Thursday, with defence officials clarifying that usage will remain tightly regulated, as highlighted in an ANI post on X.
Officials said Army personnel may access social media apps only for “viewing and monitoring” purposes. This effectively means they can browse content but are not permitted to post comments, express opinions, or otherwise engage publicly on these platforms.
For messaging services like Skype, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, personnel are allowed to exchange “unclassified information of a general nature,” but only with contacts they personally know. The responsibility for correctly identifying the recipient rests entirely with the user, the report noted.
On open social networks such as X, Quora, and Instagram, as well as media platforms like YouTube where users can publicly comment, the Army has restricted personnel to “passive participation” aimed solely at accessing information. They are barred from posting comments, sharing views, or uploading their own content on these platforms.
LinkedIn has been treated as a special category because it is both a social network and a professional platform used for jobs and networking. The Army has stipulated that LinkedIn may only be used to upload a résumé and to obtain information on potential employees or employers.
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Until 2019, Indian Army personnel were prohibited from being part of any social media group or platform, and these restrictions were tightened further in 2020 following several misuse incidents, including honey-trapping cases. So far, the Army’s public digital presence has largely been limited to its official accounts and those of retired personnel, but the latest policy change is expected to bring more serving officers onto social media—though still under strict constraints.
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