Deep Dive | Episode 17 | Uttar Pradesh Social Media Policy - video Dailymotion

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#DeepDiveWithOutlook | Uttar Pradesh's new Social Media Policy: A gateway for influencers to earn big or impacting free speech? Dive deep into the potential impact on digital platforms and expression.  Reporter/Script: Rani Jana Camera; Suresh K Pandey Editor: Sudhanshu Pandey  Follow us: Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/ X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia  #UttarPradesh #SocialMediaPolicy #Influencers

Transcript

00:00Imagine earning up to Rs 8 lakh a month just for posting on social media.

00:05But what if that opportunity comes with strings attached?

00:08Welcome to Deep Dive with Outlook.

00:10Today, we are breaking down the new Uttar Pradesh social media policy and what it means

00:15for influencers and digital media platforms operating in the state.

00:20During the pandemic in 2020, many people started uploading videos of themselves to social media

00:26platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

00:29With the halt on new television and film programming, these short videos became the

00:34world's entertainment source.

00:37Brands quickly took notice and engaged them for digital marketing.

00:41Today, influencers not only promote products but also shape public opinions.

00:46Now, governments are also turning their attention to this space.

00:51Last week, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet led by Yogi Adityanath passed a social media policy

00:57aimed at regulating platforms like Instagram, X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

01:04The policy offers payment to influencers with a substantial following for creating content

01:10that promotes government schemes and initiatives or for running government-sponsored ads.

01:17If they apply the policy, influencers could earn monthly payments of up to Rs 8 lakh based

01:22on their follower count and platforms.

01:25But there's more to it.

01:27A controversial feature of this new policy is that the government can withhold ad payments

01:32to influencers and digital platforms if their content is found to be anti-national, vulgar,

01:39or deemed to spread misinformation.

01:42Legal action could also follow.

01:44Opposition leaders like Congress's Pawan Khaira have questioned the policy, asking

01:49for clearer definitions of offensive content.

01:53Meanwhile, the Press Club of India has strongly condemned the policy.

01:58They argue that the policy is vague, draconian, and threatens the freedom of speech guaranteed

02:04by Article 191A of the Constitution.

02:07Efforts to regulate media go back decades.

02:24Similarly, in 1988, Rajiv Gandhi's government introduced a defamation bill, which was widely

02:31criticized as an attempt to stifle the press.

02:34The UPA government introduced Section 66A of the IT Act as a private member bill in

02:412008 in an attempt to curb online digital platforms like X.

02:46The section led to several controversial arrests, including the arrest of two young girls for

02:51posting against the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

02:55In 2012, even MP Kapil Sibal, the Telecom and IT Minister of the time, admitted the

03:02section was misused by many state governments.

03:05In 2015, the Supreme Court had to step in to declare the section unconstitutional.

03:12Fast forward to recent times, and the focus has shifted towards the digital space.

03:17In 2021, the government introduced the IT Rules.

03:21These regulations established a three-tier grievance redressal system for digital media

03:26and OTT platforms.

03:28While the government claimed the rules would ensure transparency and accountability, critics

03:34argued they opened the door to censorship and harassment of media houses.

03:39So, is this new social media policy an attempt to effectively regulate digital platforms

03:45or could it potentially impact free speech?

03:48Let us know your thoughts in comments below.

Deep Dive | Episode 17 | Uttar Pradesh Social Media Policy

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