The Indian Army has updated its social media policy, allowing soldiers and officers to access Instagram in a strictly view-only mode, while continuing to prohibit any form of interaction on the platform.
View-only access, no engagement allowed
The revised directive, issued by Army Headquarters through the Directorate General of Military Intelligence (DGMI), has come into force with immediate effect. Under the updated guidelines, personnel may only view and monitor content on Instagram for information awareness. Posting, liking, commenting, sharing, or messaging remains strictly prohibited.
The Army described this limited access as “passive participation”, emphasising that engagement of any kind continues to pose operational and security risks. Soldiers may, however, flag fake or misleading content to their senior officers as part of information monitoring.
Strong warning against VPNs and unsafe tools
Alongside the policy update, the Army reiterated its warning against the use of VPNs, torrent websites, cracked software and anonymous web proxies. Officials said such tools expose users to malware, data leaks and foreign surveillance, posing serious threats to national security.
All existing rules governing digital conduct for Army personnel continue to apply, including restrictions on sharing service-related information, photographs, locations and personal details online.
Similar rules for other platforms
The view-only approach mirrors restrictions already in place for platforms such as YouTube and X, where personnel are allowed to consume content but not engage freely. While certain platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, Quora, Telegram and WhatsApp are permitted, they remain subject to stringent monitoring and clear dos and don’ts.
Background to tighter social media norms
Until 2019, Army personnel were barred from joining any social media groups. Following multiple incidents of misuse and data leakage, the Army tightened its digital policies in 2020, directing soldiers to delete 89 mobile applications, including Facebook and Instagram.
The latest update reflects a calibrated approach—balancing the need for situational awareness in the digital space while safeguarding operational secrecy. Officials said the policy may be reviewed periodically based on evolving cyber threats and compliance levels.