New York: A recent analysis by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has revealed a significant rise in anti-Indian commentary and hostility on social media platforms, with targeted posts and coordinated campaigns driving much of the online rhetoric, as stated in a column by Tanner Nau, Editorial Fellow at The Free Press.
According to The Free Press column by Tanner Nau, the NCRI report stated that anti-Indian discourse on social media platform X saw a dramatic increase in 2025, nearly tripling compared to 2024 and generating over 300 million views.
The institute identified approximately 24,000 posts containing anti-Indian content, reflecting growing online animosity linked to debates over immigration, national identity and visa policies.
Nau, in his column, stated that the analysis found that this surge was driven not by broad public engagement but by a small number of highly active accounts, with the three “most prolific posters” alone responsible for 525 posts. These accounts accounted for more than 10 per cent of all likes and 20 per cent of reposts among anti-Indian content reviewed by the institute.
The report highlighted that many posts emerged in response to changes in US immigration policy, particularly around H-1B work visas.
NCRI noted that much of the highly engaged anti-Indian commentary during that period praised the policy as a way to restrict Indian immigration while also engaging in racially charged language.
Social media posts frequently included ethnic slurs and stereotypes alongside discussions about visas, legal and illegal immigration, and cultural assimilation. The volume of anti-Indian posts peaked in mid-December 2025, with some weeks seeing over 800 posts containing derogatory terms such as “pajeet” and “dothead”.
One recent instance that reignited online controversy involved a video of an Indian couple participating in an online dance challenge at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, which prompted some users to condemn the couple’s behavior and call for limits on H-1B visas, the column stated.
NCRI identified the three most frequent creators of anti-Indian posts on X as NeonWhiteCat, MattForney, and TheBrancaShow. As of this week, MattForney and TheBrancaShow together had approximately 219,000 followers, while NeonWhiteCat’s account appeared to be inactive.
NCRI found more than 2,000 posts related to anti-Indian commentary around Usha Vance. When asked about far-right comments last year, Vice President JD Vance responded bluntly, saying that one controversial critic could “eat shit”.
