The Indian Army has revised its longstanding social media policy, permitting personnel limited “passive participation” on select platforms after years of stringent restrictions.

This change, detailed in an order from Army Headquarters via the Directorate General of Military Intelligence (DGMI), took immediate effect and balances information access with operational security.

Personnel may now access Instagram solely for viewing and monitoring content, with no allowance for posting, commenting, sharing, reacting, or messaging. The policy explicitly states that no comments or views will be communicated on the platform, placing full responsibility for secure usage on the individual user.

This update formally includes Instagram among restricted-use platforms, alongside others like X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Quora, where only passive consumption for knowledge acquisition is authorised. Active engagement, including uploading user-generated content, remains strictly prohibited across these sites.

Communication apps such as Skype, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Signal receive qualified approval for exchanging unclassified, general information with known contacts only. Users bear sole responsibility for verifying recipients to prevent inadvertent leaks.

LinkedIn stands apart, permitted for professional activities like uploading résumés or researching employers and employees. The guidelines underscore its narrow scope to maintain discipline amid evolving digital threats.

The Army reiterates warnings against risky online practices, advising avoidance of generic websites, pirated software portals, free movie sites, torrents, VPNs, web proxies, anonymised sites, chat rooms, and file-sharing platforms. Cloud storage services demand extreme caution to avert security breaches.

This policy shift contrasts sharply with July 2020 measures, when heightened concerns prompted orders to delete Facebook and Instagram accounts, alongside 89 apps—59 linked to China and banned by the government. Non-compliance then risked strict action, reflecting acute threat perceptions.

The revisions aim to foster digital awareness without compromising vulnerabilities, allowing personnel to monitor content and flag misleading posts to superiors if needed. Issued to all units, they emphasise personal accountability in an era of pervasive online risks.

Multiple outlets, including India Today, NDTV Profit, and SSB Crack, corroborate the DGMI directive's core elements, confirming its widespread dissemination as of late December 2025. No reports indicate deviations or further amendments since issuance.

​Agencies