Social media is such a big phenomenon today that is surprising to think that only a decade ago most people had not even heard of Facebook or Twitter in their life. Now it seems nothing is possible without having a social media presence first, and government agencies are starting to realize this fact as well. Not only can you find almost every government department’s twitter handle or Facebook page with an easy Google search, heads of states can also be found easily online. Now, if you have something to say to, Donald Trump for example, you can tweet him directly @realDonaldTrump and there is a good chance he will read your message as well (in Trump’s case the chances are very high). However, instead of making their own social media pages, governments have also started to use this tool to influence people’s thoughts and actions as well. While in the past, radio, print news and televisions were used to spread propaganda, now they all have been replaced by the cheaper, more efficient and more effective social media. Cases of countries involved in these actions can be found in the US, where the Democratic Party has alleged that the Russians used fake news in order to help Trump win, to the Subcontinent, where both India and Pakistan have been spreading false information about each other for years. Cases like these are getting so common in fact, that they are being known as examples of ‘Hybrid Warfare’. Whether this is the new method in which countries will now target their enemies, remains to be seen. MUHAMMAD ALI Karachi Published in Daily Times, August 9th 2018.