New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- When the truth is lost in the midst of conflict, propaganda soon replaces it. The latest story about the alleged capture of an Indian Air Force pilot during Operation Sindoor exemplifies how misinformation spreads in today's internet ecosystem.

Within hours of cross-border air operations being reported, social media platforms were inundated with reports that a Rafale fighter plane had been shot down near Sialkot and its pilot, a female officer, had been captured alive. The identity of India's first female Rafale pilot, Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, was quickly linked to these claims, giving them a strong emotional appeal.

The claim spread astonishingly quickly. Anonymous social media handles, partisan web pages, a...