U.P. Digital Media Policy, 2024

Syllabus: GS2/Governance

Context

• The Uttar Pradesh government has come up with a new social media policy encouraging influencers to promote the State government’s initiatives, schemes, and achievements with prize payments. 

About the Policy

• Objective: The new social media policy reflects the government’s bid to enhance its online presence while deterring undesirable content. 

Key Highlights

• The policy, created by the state’s information department, outlines a structure for providing advertisements to agencies and individuals who create and share content about government schemes and achievements on platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
• Influencers will be categorized into four groups based on their number of followers and subscribers.
  • This categorization will determine their eligibility for financial rewards, which could reach up to Rs 8 lakh per month.
• The policy also envisions the listing of specific agencies or firms to handle advertisements, aiming to promote content relating to the state’s achievements and schemes. 

• Legal Action: Under the policy the government has been authorised to take legal action if such paid content shows any anti-national, anti-social, or derogatory content.
  • Anti-national content would be considered a serious offence which carries a punishment of between three years to life imprisonment.
• Concerns: Digital influencers running social media platforms argue it signals the government’s attempt to produce its favourable content and influence the public through the medium.
  • It has prompted debates about the extent to which it may impact freedom of expression and the operational definition of what constitutes ‘objectionable’ content.

Source: TH