An independent investigation has called for governments, regulators and social media companies to examine what it describes as a recurring online ecosystem of anti-Indian content, warning that recommendation systems may be exposing users to increasingly hostile material targeting Indians and people of Indian origin.
The 64-page report, prepared by MahaBharat founder Mohit Sharma, documents a 16-month investigation into Facebook and Instagram between March 2025 and June 2026. It combines observations from multiple test accounts, screenshots, screen recordings, archived posts and interviews to examine how anti-Indian content is recommended and amplified online.
Mr Sharma said the investigation began after students reported seeing a growing volume of anti-Indian content appearing in their social media feeds. He said researchers then created multiple accounts to test whether those experiences could be replicated.
According to the report, accounts that engaged with anti-Indian material, even at a limited level, were frequently recommended increasing amounts of similar content over time. The report says recommendation feeds often became dominated by posts containing negative stereotypes, racist commentary, calls for deportation and, in some cases, violent rhetoric.
The 64-page report, prepared by MahaBharat founder Mohit Sharma, documents a 16-month investigation into Facebook and Instagram between March 2025 and June 2026. It combines observations from multiple test accounts, screenshots, screen recordings, archived posts and interviews to examine how anti-Indian content is recommended and amplified online
The report stops short of claiming that social media companies deliberately promote such content. Instead, it states that the findings are observational and should be treated as evidence requiring independent examination rather than proof of causation or intent.
Among the concerns raised is what the report describes as the apparent targeting of ordinary social media posts featuring Indian-origin individuals. It says lifestyle videos, family posts, housing updates and community content often attracted large volumes of racial abuse after appearing within recommendation environments already dominated by anti-Indian material.
Several examples are included in the report’s evidence archive, including screenshots of posts containing anti-Indian slogans, racist memes and calls for exclusion or deportation. Other examples show comments directed at Indian-origin content creators whose posts were unrelated to politics or immigration.
Mr Sharma also documents what he describes as repeated use of misleading statistics, edited videos and selective reporting to reinforce negative stereotypes about Indians. One example highlighted in the report involves a post linking Indian migration in France to reported rape cases, which the report states contained incorrect and misleading statistics.
The report says lifestyle videos, family posts, housing updates and community content often attracted large volumes of racial abuse after appearing within recommendation environments already dominated by anti-Indian material
The investigation further raises concerns about younger users encountering the material. It says researchers observed school-aged users publicly liking, commenting on and sharing hostile anti-Indian posts, prompting concerns about exposure to racist narratives during adolescence. The report includes examples of posts that it says were circulating within school social groups.
Mr Sharma also says he received abusive messages and threats after discussing the findings publicly. The report documents incidents of online harassment, intimidation and death threats directed at him during the investigation and includes screenshots of threatening communications as supporting evidence.
While the investigation focuses on anti-Indian content, it says researchers also observed similar recommendation environments involving anti-Black and anti-Muslim material, suggesting the issue may extend beyond one community.
The report recommends an independent investigation into social media recommendation systems, greater transparency around content amplification, stronger enforcement against coordinated harassment and expanded research into the relationship between recommendation algorithms, online hate and youth engagement. It also calls for educational programs to improve digital literacy and awareness of online manipulation.
The report acknowledges its limitations, noting that the research was conducted independently without access to internal platform data or moderation systems. It states that the observations are based on publicly available content and documented user experiences, and that further independent verification is needed.
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