According to an Al Jazeera report, Indian consultancy firms and content creators have been accused of using fake social media accounts and payments to spread disinformation in elections in the United States, Kenya, and other countries.

Involvement in US and Kenyan elections

In the United States, at least 28 accounts shared videos in support of Haley Stevens during the Democratic Party's Senate primary in Michigan, with 15 of those accounts being operated from India. Researchers from the Antibot4Navalny group and Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub confirmed the use of these Indian accounts.

Rajan Kumar, a 22-year-old content creator from Ahmedabad, received 7 dollars, approximately 600 rupees, per day in exchange for creating posts in support of William Ruto during the 2022 Kenyan presidential election. In July 2022, two Indian consultants linked to Ruto's campaign in Kenya, Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan and Mohammed Zaid Sami Kidwai, went missing, and their bodies were recovered in October.

Global reach and financial methods

According to the report, Indian consultants have also been active in elections in Germany, Australia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, in addition to the United States and Africa. Paper jobs through foreign companies and hawala channels are used to conceal financial transactions. Independent judicial confirmation of all claims made by consultants and creators is still pending.