#FactCheck- AI-generated deepfake video falsely attributes remarks to Lt Gen P.R. Shankar on Army Chief designate Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth

Introduction

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In today’s digital era, warfare is being redefined. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently stated that “we are in the age of Grey Zone and hybrid warfare where cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and economic warfare have become tools to achieve politico-military aims without a single shot being fired.” The crippling cyberattacks on Estonia in 2007, Russia’s interference in the 2016 US elections, and the ransomware strike on the Colonial Pipeline in the United States in 2021 all demonstrate how states are now using cyberspace to achieve strategic goals while carefully circumventing the threshold of open war.

Legal Complexities: Attribution, Response, and Accountability

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Grey zone warfare challenges the traditional notions of security and international conventions on peace due to inherent challenges such as :

• Attribution
  The first challenge in cyber warfare is determining who is responsible. Threat actors hide behind rented botnets, fake IP addresses, and servers scattered across the globe. Investigators can follow digital trails, but those trails often point to machines, not people. That makes attribution more of an educated guess than a certainty. A wrong guess could lead to misattribution of blame, which could beget a diplomatic crisis, or worse, a military one.
• Proportional Response
  Even if attribution is clear, designing a response can be a challenge. International law does give room for countermeasures if they are both ‘necessary’ and ‘proportionate’. But defining these qualifiers can be a long-drawn, contested process. Effectively, governments employ softer measures such as protests or sanctions, tighten their cyber defences or, in extreme cases, strike back digitally.
• Accountability
  States can be held responsible for waging cyber attacks under the UN’s Draft Articles on State Responsibility. But these are non-binding and enforcement depends on collective pressure, which can be slow and inconsistent. In cyberspace, accountability often ends up being more symbolic than real, leaving plenty of room for repeat offences.

International and Indian Legal Frameworks

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Cyber law is a step behind cyber warfare since existing international frameworks are often inadequate. For example, the Tallinn Manual 2.0, the closest thing we have to a rulebook for cyber conflict, is just a set of guidelines. It says that if a cyber operation can be tied to a state, even through hired hackers or proxies, then that state can be held responsible. But attribution is a major challenge. Similarly, the United Nations has tried to build order through its Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) that promotes norms like “don’t attack. However, these norms are not binding, effectively leaving practice to diplomacy and trust.

India is susceptible to routine attacks from hostile actors, but does not yet have a dedicated cyber warfare law.  While Section 66F of the IT ACT, 2000, talks about cyber terrorism, and Section 75 lets Indian courts examine crimes committed abroad if they impact India,  grey-zone tactics like fake news campaigns, election meddling, and influence operations fall into a legal vacuum.

Way Forward

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• Strengthen International Cooperation
  Frameworks like the Tallinn Manual 2.0 can form the basis for future treaties. Bilateral and multilateral agreements between countries are essential to ensure accountability and cooperation in tackling grey zone activities.
• Develop Grey Zone Legislation
  India currently relies on the IT Act, 2000, but this law needs expansion to specifically cover grey zone tactics such as election interference, propaganda, and large-scale disinformation campaigns.
• Establish Active Monitoring Systems
  India must create robust early detection systems to identify grey zone operations in cyberspace. Agencies can coordinate with social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), and YouTube, which are often exploited for propaganda and disinformation, to improve monitoring frameworks.
• Dedicated Theatre Commands for Cyber Operations
  Along with the existing Defence Cyber Agency, India should consider specialised theatre commands for grey zone and cyber warfare. This would optimise resources, enhance coordination, and ensure unified command in dealing with hybrid threats.

Conclusion

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Grey zone warfare in cyberspace is no longer an optional tactic used by threat actors but a routine activity. India lacks the early detection systems, robust infrastructure, and strong cyber laws to counter grey-zone warfare. To counter this, India needs sharper attribution tools for early detection and must actively push for stronger international rules in this global landscape. More importantly, instead of merely blaming without clear plans, India should focus on preparing for solid retaliation strategies. By doing so, India can also learn to use cyberspace strategically to achieve politico-military aims without firing a single shot.

References

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• Tallinn Manual 2.0 on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Operations (Michael N. Schmitt)
• UN Document on International Law in Cyberspace (UN Digital Library)
• NATO Cyber Defence Policy
• Texas Law Review: State Responsibility and Attribution of Cyber Intrusions
• Deccan Herald: Defence Minister on Grey Zone Warfare
• VisionIAS: Grey Zone Warfare
• Sachin Tiwari, The Reality of Cyber Operations in the Grey Zone

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Introduction

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The digital communication landscape in India is set to change significantly as the Department of Telecommunications is preparing to implement new rules for messaging apps that operate using SIM cards. This step is part of the government’s effort to tackle cybercrime at its roots by enforcing stricter verification and reducing the number of communication platforms that can be misused. One clear change that users will notice is that WhatsApp Web sessions will now be automatically logged out every six hours, disrupting the previously uninterrupted use across multiple devices. Although this may appear to be a simple inconvenience, the measure is part of a broader plan to address the growing problem of cyber fraud. Cybercriminals exploit messaging apps like WhatsApp without keeping the registered SIM in the device, making it difficult to trace fraud. These efforts are surely gonna address these challenges at the root.

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The Incident: What Has Changed?

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The new regulations will make it mandatory for messaging platforms to create a direct link between user accounts and verified SIM identities. By this method, every account in the network can be associated with a valid and traceable mobile number. Because of this requirement, it is expected that WhatsApp is going to tighten the management of device sessions. The six-hour logout cycle for WhatsApp Web is implemented to prevent long-lived and unmonitored sessions that are sometimes taken advantage of in account takeovers, device-based breaches, and remote access scams. This change significantly affects the user experience. WhatsApp Web, often used for communication, customer support, and coordination, will now require more frequent authentication through mobile devices. Though mobile access remains uninterrupted, desktop and browser-linked sessions will be subjected to tighter security controls.

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Why Identity-Linked Messaging Matters

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India is facing a rapidly evolving cybercrime ecosystem in which messaging applications play a central role. Scammers often rely on fake, unverified, or illegally obtained SIM cards to create temporary accounts that can be used for various illegal activities, such as sending phishing messages, impersonating government officials, and deceiving victims through call centres set up for scams.

The new rules take into consideration the following main issues:

1. Anonymity of accounts makes large-scale fraud possible: Criminals operate bulk scams using hundreds of SIM-linked accounts.
2. Freedom to drop identities: Illegal SIMs are discarded after fraud, making it difficult for the police to trace the criminals.
3. Multi-device vulnerabilities that last for a long time: Access without permission to WhatsApp Web sessions that last for a long time is seen as the main reason for OTP theft, account hijacking, and on-device social engineering.

The government wants to disrupt these foundations by enforcing stricter traceability.

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A Sector Under Strain: Misuse of Messaging Platforms

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Messaging apps have turned out to be the most important thing in India's digital life, from communication to enterprise. This very widespread use of messaging apps has made them an easy target for cybercriminals.

The scams that are frequently visible are:

• WhatsApp groupsare  used for job and loan scams
• False communication from banks, government departments, and payment applications
• Sextortion and blackmail through unverified accounts
• Remote-access fraud with attackers who are watching WhatsApp Web sessions
• Coordinated spread of false information and distribution of deepfake videos

The employment of AI-generated personas and "SIM farms" has made it harder to secure the systems even more. Unless there is a very strict linking of users to authenticated SIM credentials, the platforms might degenerate into uncontrollable rafts of cybercrime.

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Government and Regulatory Response

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The Department of Telecommunications is initiating a process of stricter compliance measures and cooperating with the Ministry of Home Affairs, along with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. The main points of the directions include the following:

• Identity verification linked to a SIM is mandatory for the creation of messaging accounts
• Device re-authentication on platforms often starts with WhatsApp Web
• Coordination with the telecom operators to the extent of getting suspicious login patterns
• Protocols for the sharing of data with law enforcement in the course of cybercrime investigations
• Compliance checks of digital platforms to verify adherence to national safety guidelines

This coordinated effort reflects the understanding that the security of communication platforms is the responsibility of both the regulators and the service providers.

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The Bigger Picture: Strengthening India’s Digital Trust

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The fresh regulations are in step with the worldwide trend where the platforms of messaging have to be more responsible, as governments are demanding more and more from them. The same discussions are going on in the EU, UK, and certain Southeast Asian regions. 

For India, it is imperative to enhance identity management because: 

• The nation has the largest base of messaging users in the whole world
• Cybercrime is increasing at a rate quicker than that of traditional crime 
• Digital government services rely on communications that are secure 
• Identity integrity is the basis for trust in online transactions and digital payments

The six-hour logout policy for WhatsApp Web is a small action, but it is an indication of a bigger transformation towards a regulation that is active rather than just policing that is reactive.

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What Needs to Happen Next?

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The implementation of SIM-linked regulations must involve several subsequent measures to make them effective.

1. Strengthening Digital Literacy: It is necessary to educate users about the benefits of frequent logouts and security improvements.
2. Ensuring Privacy Protections: The DPDP Act should create a strong barrier against the misuse of personal data in identity-linked messaging that will be implemented.
3. Collaboration with Platforms: Messaging services should seek to secure authentication under the compromise of safety checks.
4. Monitoring SIM fraud at the source: Illicit SIM provisioning enforcement is the main source of criminals, not just changing their methods.
5. Continuous Review and Feedback: Policymaking needs to keep pace with real-life difficulties and new inventions in technology.

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Conclusion

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India's announcement to impose regulations on messaging apps with SIM linkage is a major step forward in preventing cybercrime from occurring in the first place. Although the immediate effect, like the six-hour logout requirement for WhatsApp Web, may annoy users, it is nevertheless part of a bigger goal: to develop a more secure and trustworthy digital communication environment.

Securing the communication that links millions of people is vital as India becomes more and more digital. Through a combination of regulatory measures, technological protection, and user education, the country is headed toward a time when criminals in the cyber world will find it very difficult to operate and where consumers will be able to interact online with much more confidence and safety.

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References

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• https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/india-orders-messaging-apps-to-work.html
• https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/whatsapp-web-automatic-log-out-six-hourse-reason-10394142/
• https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/explained-how-will-new-sim-binding-rule-affect-whatsapp-signal-telegram-9728710
• https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/no-whatsapp-without-active-sim-centre-issues-new-rules-dot-sim-binding-prevent-cyber-crimes-101764495810135.html

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Executive Summary:

A viral message is circulating claiming the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has banned the use of black ink for writing cheques. This information is incorrect. The RBI has not issued any such directive, and cheques written in black ink remain valid and acceptable. 

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Claim:

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new guidelines prohibiting using black ink for writing cheques. As per the claimed directive, cheques must now be written exclusively in blue or green ink.

‍Fact Check: 

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Upon thorough verification, it has been confirmed that the claim regarding the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issuing a directive banning the use of black ink for writing cheques is entirely false. No such notification, guideline, or instruction has been released by the RBI in this regard. Cheques written in black ink remain valid, and the public is advised to disregard such unverified messages and rely only on official communications for accurate information. 

As stated by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), this claim is false The Reserve Bank of India has not prescribed specific ink colors to be used for writing cheques. There is a mention of the color of ink to be used in point number 8, which discusses the care customers should take while writing cheques.

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Conclusion:   

The claim that the Reserve Bank of India has banned the use of black ink for writing cheques is completely false. No such directive, rule, or guideline has been issued by the RBI. Cheques written in black ink are valid and acceptable. The RBI has not prescribed any specific ink color for writing cheques, and the public is advised to disregard unverified messages. While general precautions for filling out cheques are mentioned in RBI advisories, there is no restriction on the color of the ink. Always refer to official sources for accurate information.

• Claim: The new RBI ink guidelines are mandatory from a specified date.
• Claimed On: Social Media
• Fact Check:  False and Misleading 

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