Indian Army Updates Social Media Policy to Regulate Platform Usage

Indian Army has amended its social media policy allowing its personnel limited access to platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn under strictly defined conditions. This Announced on 25 December 2025 the revised policy seeks to strike a balance between operational security and the realities of modern information consumption. Defense officials clarified that the changes are aimed at information awareness and monitoring, not unrestricted participation ensuring that national security concerns remain paramount.

What Has Changed in the New Policy?

• The revised guidelines introduce a platform based differentiation, recognizing that messaging apps and public social networks pose different levels of security risk.
• Under the amended policy Army personnel are now permitted to access certain applications.
• This does not mean full freedom to use the platforms but their usage is carefully regulated depending on the nature of the platform.

Messaging Apps: Limited Communication Allowed

• For messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Skype the policy allows personnel to exchange unclassified information of a general nature.
• However, key safeguards apply.
• Communication is permitted only with known contacts and the responsibility for correctly identifying the recipient rests entirely with the user.
• This clause has been introduced to reduce risks related to impersonation, data leakage and honey trapping, which had emerged as serious concerns in recent years.
• No classified, sensitive, or operational information can be shared under any circumstances.

Social Media Platforms: Passive Participation Only

For public facing social networks such as X, Instagram, and Quora as well as media platforms like YouTube the Army has adopted a “passive participation” approach.

Personnel are allowed to view, browse and monitor content purely for information-gathering purposes. However, they are strictly prohibited from,

• Posting or uploading any content
• Commenting or expressing opinions
• Engaging in public discussions or debates

This distinction reflects concerns that public interactions can unintentionally reveal personal, locational, or institutional details, which adversarial entities may exploit.

LinkedIn: A Special Case

• The professional networking platform LinkedIn has been treated as a special category.
• While it is a social network it also serves formal employment and professional purposes.
• The Army has permitted its use only for uploading résumés and obtaining information related to potential employers or employees.
• Any form of opinion-sharing, posting, or informal engagement remains restricted.

Background

• Until 2019, Indian Army personnel were completely barred from participating in any social media platform or group.
• Restrictions were further tightened in 2020 following multiple cases of social media misuse, including honey trapping and inadvertent sharing of sensitive information.
• Traditionally the Army’s only public digital presence consisted of official accounts and accounts of retired personnel, ensuring tight control over messaging and information flow.
• The revised policy represents a measured shift, acknowledging that controlled access can help personnel stay informed without compromising security.

Security First: Core Principle of the Policy

• Despite the relaxations, the guiding principle of the new policy remains “security over convenience.”
• Defence officials emphasised that access is granted only for viewing, monitoring, and limited communication, not expression.
• The differentiated treatment of messaging apps versus open social networks reflects a nuanced understanding of digital risks, especially in an era of information warfare, cyber espionage and psychological operations.

Key Takeaways

• Indian Army amended its social media policy on 25 December 2025.
• Messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Skype allowed for unclassified communication with known contacts only.
• Social networks like X, Instagram, Quora, and YouTube allowed for passive viewing only.
• LinkedIn permitted solely for résumé upload and professional information.
• No commenting, posting, or opinion-sharing allowed on public platforms.
• Earlier complete ban existed till 2019, tightened further in 2020.

Question

Q. Until which year was social media completely banned for Indian Army personnel?

A. 2017
B. 2019
C. 2020
D. 2021