India Proposes New Regulations for Social Media Content Creators and Influencers

New Delhi. The Indian government has proposed new regulations to control news and political content on social media. Under the proposed amendments, influencers, podcasters, and individuals posting content on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and X will now fall under regulatory oversight.

Last week, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology introduced a proposal to amend information technology rules. This amendment aims to extend the "Code of Ethics," currently applicable to registered news publishers, to ordinary users who post content on news and current affairs.

Experts suggest this will grant the government greater control over news-related content shared on social media, potentially impacting independent journalists, YouTubers, and podcasters. The government has proposed that social media companies must comply with official directives to maintain "safe harbor" protections, which shield platforms from legal liability for user-generated content.

However, digital rights activists and independent content creators have expressed concerns regarding this proposal. They argue that these rules could increase state-directed censorship and risk being misused to suppress critics.

Akash Banerjee, host of the YouTube channel "The Deshbhakt," stated that these rules could create an atmosphere of fear, leading many creators to resort to self-censorship.

According to him, despite existing strict legal frameworks, hate speech and fake news have not decreased in India, while critical or satirical posts against the government are increasingly being removed.

The Indian government, however, has denied these allegations. According to the government, the proposed amendments will help control fake news, hate speech, and deepfakes. The government has requested public feedback on this proposal until April 14.