Delhi Police has formed special teams to monitor and rebut alleged misinformation circulated online during recent protests, with officials considering a verification protocol to distinguish accredited media from content creators at demonstration sites.
According to a report by Jagran, teams of 20 to 25 police personnel are monitoring social media around the clock and issuing responses on platforms including X and Instagram. The move follows demonstrations involving political parties and organisations in New Delhi, where police said misleading videos and posts created an additional challenge for law-and-order management.
Police officials alleged that some people presenting themselves as journalists or professional YouTubers recorded images and videos of police and security personnel during crowd-control operations, edited the material and posted it online in a misleading manner. The officials said some of those individuals had travelled from different states and that their backgrounds were being examined.
The claims have been attributed to Delhi Police officials and were not independently verified in the supplied report. Police said the alleged posts were intended to create confusion among the public and damage the image of the government, Delhi Police and central security forces.
The department cited two sets of figures in its assessment. During a protest by the Campaign for Justice and Peace in July, police said 56 allegedly false posts were circulated. It also said that 49 misleading posts were published between October 2 and October 11 during another period of demonstrations. Police said it issued immediate rebuttals through its official social-media accounts.
Additional Commissioner of Police Rajiv Ranjan said the misuse of social media to circulate sensational or false information was becoming a challenge for security arrangements and public order. His remarks, as reported by Jagran, framed the issue as part of the wider difficulty authorities face when information moves rapidly from protest sites to online platforms.
Delhi Police is now examining a longer-term strategy for future protests and public events. One proposed measure involves analysing video footage captured during demonstrations to prepare a database of people who regularly create online content at such locations. The department is also considering a clear verification protocol that would help security personnel distinguish between genuine media workers and other content creators on the ground.
Such a protocol would directly affect how journalists, independent video creators and police personnel interact at crowded public events. The report does not specify what accreditation documents would be required, which authority would issue them or how the proposed system would protect legitimate newsgathering and public access to information.
Police also acknowledged that some YouTubers and independent creators had challenged sensational claims during a recent press conference linked to the Campaign for Justice and Peace. Officials said these creators asked factual questions and contested claims they considered inaccurate.
Delhi Police has not announced a final framework or a timeline for implementing the proposed verification system. For now, its immediate response remains social-media monitoring, rapid rebuttals and further analysis of footage from recent demonstrations.
