A look at community apps like Kutumb mobilizing millions of Indians for politics, spreading disinformation, and inciting hate, beyond civil watchdogs' scrutiny
Away From Scrutiny, New Networking Apps Are Mobilising Millions of Indians For Politics, Disinformation and Hate. X: @anoophilip , @reporters_co , @majuli_chapori , @reporters_co , @adiroy_notkapur , @nit_set , @harshithamanwan , @ayushikar1998 , and @advait_px X: Anoop George Philip / @anoophilip : These apps are the desi alternatives for those Indians who are tired of being told to watch their mouth or getting fact-checked while using Silicon Valley networking apps. @reporters_co : On regulating political apps that are mobilising millions and spreading hate? @prateekwaghre: “There is an inherent risk with inviting the government to exercise additional control over such applications. Overreach is a strong possibility...” Read: https://www.reporters-collective.in/ ... Mitul Baruah / @majuli_chapori : Excellent piece on how app-based campaign is reconfiguring the political landscape in the country, not necessarily in a positive way! Proud of my advisee, @gayatrisupbro, for such brilliance and commitment. New Home for Hate: https://www.reporters-collective.in/ ... @reporters_co : Away from scrutiny, new apps are mobilising millions of Indians online for politics, disinformation and hate. Read the deep-dive by @ayushikar1998, @adiroy_notkapur & @gayatrisupbro into the new homes for hate. 1/2 https://www.reporters-collective.in/ ... Aditya / @adiroy_notkapur : In this story for @reporters_co with @ayushikar1998 & @gayatrisupbro , I look at new “made in India” apps that operate away from scrutiny & serve as platforms for political misinformation & hate. Thanks to @nit_set for his guidance throughout. Do read! https://www.reporters-collective.in/ ... Nitin Sethi / @nit_set : Hate has a new home. 13 lakh plus Facebook advts scanned for this story. Lead by my colleague, @reporters_co data investigation lead @ayushikar1998 👇🏾 Harshitha Manwani / @harshithamanwan : Don't want social media fact checking and scrutinising you. Indian entrepreneurs to the rescue: new apps where you can spread disinformation and hate without any oversight. @reporters_co's @ayushikar1998 reports with @adiroy_notkapur & @gayatrisupbro https://www.reporters-collective.in/ ... Ayushi Kar / @ayushikar1998 : Read my deep dive on how “made in India” social platforms found a business in India's contemporary politics. Creating new online factories of political propaganda and hate. @reporters_co With @adiroy_notkapur & @gayatrisupbro https://www.reporters-collective.in/ ... Advait Palepu / @advait_px : https://www.reporters-collective.in/ ... “The venture capital funds may have bet their money on building home-grown community apps but neither they nor most of the founders seemed to see any incentive in muting the hate and disinformation on these mushrooming platforms.” @reporters_co
Context & Ripple Effects
This investigation extends a documented arc of political organizing through digital networks: coverage previously described a BJP-aligned WhatsApp-group network built around Hindu-majority fears, while reporting on Koo showed how a regional-language social platform gained momentum with support from Modi's BJP.
The new focus is on home-grown community apps that sit farther from the moderation and watchdog attention applied to major platforms. That matters because earlier reporting found fact-checkers struggling to keep up with political misinformation on Facebook services, including Alt News' effort to counter ruling-party misinformation.
First-order effects
- Community-app users can be organized for political activity in spaces where the investigation says disinformation and hate circulate with limited civil-society scrutiny.
- App founders and their venture backers face a clearer accountability issue: the same engagement systems supporting community growth can also enable political propaganda and harmful content.
Second-order effects
- Political organizers can diversify beyond large social networks and WhatsApp groups, reducing the practical reach of fact-checking and platform-specific moderation efforts.
- The finding raises pressure for app-distribution, investment, and governance stakeholders to assess community platforms as political-media infrastructure rather than neutral networking products.
Third-order effects
- If political mobilization continues to fragment across smaller domestic apps, content governance may shift from a handful of highly visible platforms to a harder-to-monitor network of services.
- Any regulatory response will face a persistent trade-off: addressing coordinated harm without creating the government overreach that Prateek Waghre warns can follow controls on political applications.
The trend: Political influence operations are moving into increasingly fragmented, locally tailored community platforms where growth incentives and oversight are poorly aligned.