Aug 4, 2025: Security agencies have discovered a new trend among young people in the Kashmir Valley that glorifies separatist and terrorist figures on social media. This is not done out of ideological conviction, but rather as a calculated strategy to gain followers and make money from advertisers. After detaining some youth behind such accounts, the Srinagar police, which has been making every effort to monitor social media sites to combat radicalization, learned about this tactic. The youngsters allegedly confessed during questioning that their deliberate strategy to cultivate a large and engaged following involved using incendiary imagery, such as that of the slain terrorist Burhan Wani of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen. They were then able to make use of their social media accounts by receiving endorsement payments from advertisers as a result of this engagement farming. According to the officials, the account handlers used to replace these images with other images like mountains or Chinar trees after gaining a number of followers, particularly from overseas and across the border. After detaining some youth behind such accounts, the Srinagar police, which has been making every effort to monitor social media sites to combat radicalization, learned about this tactic. The youngsters allegedly confessed during questioning that their deliberate strategy to cultivate a large and engaged following involved using incendiary imagery, such as that of the slain terrorist Burhan Wani of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen. They were then able to make use of their social media accounts by receiving endorsement payments from advertisers as a result of this engagement farming. According to the officials, the account handlers used to replace these images with other images like mountains or Chinar trees after gaining a number of followers, particularly from overseas and across the border. The online propaganda environment in the region is blurring the lines between political opposition, radical elements, and opportunists seeking online fame and wealth, according to the officials. Families are also being educated about the implications of this for their children's future, and the police are determined to intensify their surveillance and take tough action against those who exploit sensitive security situations for personal gain. As many as seven children, who had been detained recently by police, were released after counselling in front of their parents, the officials said.
In the digital landscape, where monetizing content is the new goal, the pursuit of engagement and revenue has led to a murky gray area. Officials believe that the rise of social media influencers in the Kashmir Valley who use provocative imagery is motivated by financial considerations. According to the officials, the majority of these influencers used partnerships with brands on social media platforms to either promote products or incorporate them into their content. Despite its blue-tick verification system, the revenue-sharing model remains opaque, according to two prominent influencers who operate on three social platforms. One influencer, requesting anonymity, described the process as “unclear,” noting that the factors determining the frequency and amount of payments are a mystery.
While understanding the digital gold rush as to how social media monetisation works, the probe into young Kashmiris using separatist imagery for follower growth shows a deeper, more complex story about the modern digital economy.
The quest for online celebrity is frequently overtly linked with the aim of monetisation — a process that is sometimes easy or not necessarily guaranteed.
Monetisation on large platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and YouTube is a combination of direct advertising income, subscriptions and brand deals with their own regulations and barriers. While another social media demands to have a professional account and ought to have 10,000 followers and thousand minutes of watched content within 60 days.
The strategy of using provocative content to boost follower counts in Kashmir, therefore, appears to be a direct consequence of this unstable digital economy.