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Trolls started attacking Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri shortly after the India-Pakistan ceasefire, going so far as to leak personal photographs and contact details of his daughter
India, with over 500 million social media users as of 2023, is facing its own digital crisis.
Former bureaucrats and diplomats, politicians as well as the National Commission for Women have come out in strong support of Foreign Secretary Vikram misiri and his daughter who were subjected to online trolling after India agreed to a ceasefire with Pakistan on Saturday.
Misri, along with Army Colonel Sofia Qureshi and IAF Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, was the face of joint government and military briefings throughout the four-day armed conflict between India and Pakistan.
Trolls attacked Misri for agreeing to a ceasefire, going so far as to leak personal photographs and contact details of his family members. On Sunday, Misri was forced to make his X account private.
This latest episode underscores a grim reality: trolling in India is not just growing – it’s spiralling into a deeply personal, abusive, and uncontrolled phenomenon. Misri, a career diplomat, is the latest in a long list of public figures subjected to this hostile environment.
Social media in India has devolved into a battleground where decency is a casualty. Abuses, slurs, and intimidation are now commonplace. What was once a platform for expression has increasingly become a stage for vitriol.
But is India alone in this descent into digital toxicity?
According to multiple global reports, including those from organisations like Pew Research and UNESCO, countries such as the United States and Brazil are also witnessing the most virulent forms of online harassment.
In the United States, a hyper-polarised political climate and robust protections for free speech have created fertile ground for trolling, particularly on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit. Cases of cyberbullying, doxxing, and hate speech, especially during election cycles, are rampant.
In Brazil, social media has become a theatre for violent threats, racial slurs, and politically motivated attacks, especially during times of political instability. The environment is so toxic that online discourse routinely spills over into real-life intimidation and conflict.
The United Kingdom, too, has reported severe cases of cyberbullying, particularly targeting teenagers and public figures. And while some countries are responding with stricter laws, the enforcement remains inconsistent.
India, with over 500 million social media users as of 2023, is facing its own digital crisis. Here, the landscape is shaped by sharp religious, caste-based, and political divisions, all of which fuel online aggression. Misinformation spreads rapidly across platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, while X is frequently used to target individuals with hate-laced campaigns.
According to a 2022 LIRNEasia survey, nearly 30–40% of social media users in India have reported experiencing online harassment – significantly higher than the global average of 20–30%. The abuse disproportionately affects women, minorities, journalists, and celebrities. A 2021 UNESCO report specifically highlighted that women journalists in India are among the most targeted in the world when it comes to online violence.
What makes this worse is the highly personal nature of these attacks. Trolls not only target opinions but also invade private lives – sharing phone numbers, doctored images, and even issuing threats of violence.
Despite laws designed to address this, including the Information Technology Act (2000), Section 507 of the Indian Penal Code, and several other defamation and hate speech provisions, many trolls continue to operate from anonymous accounts, making prosecution difficult.
However, Germany is among the few countries that have taken a hardline stance against online trolling and abuse. Its Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) mandates that social media companies remove illegal content – including hate speech and fake news – within 24 hours or face fines up to €50 million.
Australia has gone further, passing legislation banning social media for children under 16 in an attempt to curb cyberbullying and mental health deterioration. Non-compliance can attract penalties of up to 50 million Australian dollars.
On the other hand, in India, civil society voices and tech analysts argue that stronger regulation and swift judicial processes are urgently needed – not to curtail freedom of expression, but to protect individuals from targeted harm.
The fundamental challenge lies in striking a balance between safeguarding freedom of expression and curbing criminal abuse online. But as recent events show, that balance is increasingly skewed. The growing normalisation of abuse, particularly on sensitive issues like religion, gender, and politics, has rendered social media an unsafe space for many.
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