Police forces across States have expanded dedicated social media monitoring units sharply over the past five years, reflecting the growing role of online platforms in crime detection, public order management and counter-propaganda efforts. The latest police infrastructure data shows that such cells have become a distinct part of policing architecture, alongside cybercrime police stations and IT units.
Expansion of Monitoring Cells
The number of dedicated social media monitoring cells increased from 262 across 28 States and eight Union Territories on 1 January 2020 to 365 on 1 January 2024. These units now function as separate entities in police organisations, whereas earlier they were often counted within cybercrime police stations.
States with the Highest Numbers
Bihar has the highest number of such cells at 52, followed by Maharashtra with 50, Punjab with 48, West Bengal with 38 and Assam with 37. Several States have recorded steep growth in recent years. Assam rose from 1 cell in 2022 to 37 in 2024. West Bengal expanded from 2 to 38, while Punjab doubled from 24 to 48 between 2022 and 2024.
Security and Policing Significance
The expansion is linked to the need to monitor rapidly evolving crime patterns on platforms such as Facebook, X, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Instagram. These cells are used to detect misinformation, inflammatory content, extremist propaganda and other online threats before they escalate into law and order issues. In Manipur, the number of such cells rose from 3 in 2020 to 16 in 2024, despite prolonged internet suspension during 2023.
Related Police Infrastructure Data
The number of cybercrime police stations also increased from 376 in 2020 to 624 in 2024. The same report noted 1,147 drones with police forces in States and Union Territories, up from 1,010 in 2023. It also recorded 5,92,839 police vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 27,55,274. The annual data is compiled by the Bureau of Police Research and Development under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Last Modified: April 25, 2026