The Looming Regulation of Social Media: Protecting Users and Fair Compensation
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has signaled a significant shift in how India approaches social media regulation, emphasizing both user safety and fair revenue distribution for content creators. These developments, unveiled at the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave 2026, point towards a more accountable and equitable digital landscape.
The Push for Platform Accountability
Vaishnaw stressed that social media platforms and internet intermediaries must capture greater responsibility for the content hosted on their sites, particularly concerning the safety of children, women, and all online users. Platforms failing to implement adequate safety measures will face liability. This comes as the government recently amended the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, 2021, reducing the timeframe for removing unlawful content from 36 hours to just three hours, effective February 20th.
The concern extends to the rise of synthetic content. Vaishnaw stated that generating content using someone’s likeness – face, voice, or personality – should not occur without their explicit consent. This addresses the growing threat of deepfakes and their potential for misuse.
Age-Based Restrictions and Global Trends
Discussions are underway to implement age-based restrictions on social media access for children, mirroring moves made by countries like Australia. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act already incorporates age-based content differentiation. Andhra Pradesh’s IT Minister has likewise hinted at considering similar regulations within the state, potentially sparking a wider trend across India.
Fair Revenue Sharing: A New Paradigm for Content Creators
A key component of Vaishnaw’s vision is a fairer revenue share between social media platforms and the individuals who create the content that drives engagement. He emphasized that this principle should benefit a broad spectrum of creators – from established media outlets to individual influencers, researchers, and local news channels.
“Everywhere, the principle now has to be set right, and there has to be a fair share of revenue with the people who are creating the content,” Vaishnaw said.
The Broader Implications: A Global Movement?
India’s stance aligns with a growing global conversation about the responsibilities of social media giants. The debate centers on balancing freedom of expression with the need to protect vulnerable users and ensure creators are adequately compensated for their operate. The tightening of intermediary guidelines and the focus on revenue sharing could set a precedent for other nations grappling with similar challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are Intermediary Guidelines?
A: These are rules that govern the responsibilities of social media platforms and internet intermediaries in India regarding content moderation and user safety.
Q: What is the DPDP Act?
A: The Digital Personal Data Protection Act incorporates age-based differentiation in the content accessible to young people.
Q: What are deepfakes?
A: Deepfakes are synthetic media where a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else’s likeness using artificial intelligence.
Q: Will children be completely banned from social media?
A: Discussions are ongoing regarding a complete age-based ban for children below a certain age, but specific details are still being determined.
Pro Tip: Stay informed about the latest updates to digital regulations by following official government announcements and industry news sources.
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