Delhi Police Intensifies Social Media Surveillance Ahead of BRICS Summit

New Delhi, September 11, 2026: The Delhi Police has intensified its monitoring of social media platforms ahead of the BRICS Summit, using specialised teams and digital tools to identify potential security threats, misinformation and online activity that could affect law and order.

The surveillance is being coordinated through the police’s dedicated Social Media Cell and specialised units, including the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit.

Additional Commissioner of Police (IFSO) Sanjay Bhatia said the police were maintaining close watch over social media activity and had strengthened systems to prevent possible cyber-related incidents during the summit.

Officials said digital tools are being used to examine publicly available posts, captions and comments on platforms such as X, Instagram and Facebook.

The monitoring system uses specific keywords and hashtags to identify content that could require further assessment. Areas being watched include calls for protests, communal tension, threats, illegal activities, weapon glorification, threatening or abusive remarks targeting public figures or institutions, and fake or manipulated information.

The police monitoring exercise goes beyond identifying individual posts. Open-source intelligence techniques and digital analysis can help investigators detect recurring patterns and connections between accounts.

When an account is flagged, publicly available information such as follower and following networks, likes, tagged locations and other interactions can be examined to determine whether there are links with other accounts involved in potentially unlawful activity.

Content identified through the system is subsequently reviewed for its context and possible legal or security implications.

Where online material is found to potentially violate the law, the police can approach social media platforms seeking removal of unlawful content through takedown notices.

Authorities may also seek information connected to accounts during investigations. Posts involving alleged criminal intimidation, incitement or hate speech can result in an FIR and further legal investigation, depending on the circumstances.

According to officials, the police’s emphasis on digital surveillance has increased in recent months, particularly following a student protest at Jantar Mantar in July.

Alongside identifying potentially harmful content, the Delhi Police is also working to ensure that verified information from official sources reaches the public more effectively during major incidents.

The police is coordinating with technology platforms and using established mechanisms for official and verified accounts to improve the visibility of advisories, clarifications and public-safety information.

The objective is to ensure that people encountering information about a particular incident or issue can more easily find verified updates from the police.