Your favorite YouTubers and Instagram creators who comment on politics and news will now have to register with the Ministry of Information Broadcasting and work at its discretion. This is the TLDR – too long, didn’t read it – of the latest version of the proposed Broadcasting Regulation Bill 2024.
Experts point out that the proposed changes to the Broadcasting Act aim to create a “License Raj” To Silencing digital content creators. The intention did not escape the content creators, who said Scroll that the government sees them as a threat.
“They have tamed the mainstream media, now they want to attack YouTube and Instagram because the government knows that content on the internet is damaging its prospects in the Lok Sabha elections,” said journalist Abhisar Sharma, whose YouTube channel has nearly 7 million subscribers.
Sharma’s claim is not based solely on the Broadcasting Act. Even before the amendments to the bill were proposed, political analysts noted that content from social media influencers “constitutes a Space for political engagement an increasingly reticent voter who is silenced by prevailing fear.”
But the impact of the broadcasting law would not be limited to electoral politics, content creators stress. Dr Medusa, a political satirist with over 100,000 followers on Instagram and YouTube, does not appear under her real name online – and for good reason.
“If my identity is revealed, anyone could show up at my door,” she said. She fears the law could compromise her privacy and safety. “I will have to give my name, address and phone number to register,” she said. “The rape and death threats I receive online could well become a reality.”
Dr. Medusa also said that the law aims to “unify the democratic space of the Internet.”
She cited her own example, saying that online platforms allow for content creation with limited resources. “I use a phone camera, I edit my own videos and one of the walls of my room is painted green and acts as my green screen,” she said. “By putting us on the same pedestal as news channels, the government wants to deprive us of the chance to offer a discourse that is an alternative to the filth that is broadcast on prime-time television every day.”
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Content creators believe the reason behind the sweeping legislative initiative is not that the government wants to regulate the internet but rather to control it. Vimoh, who has nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram where he posts reels on political and scientific topics, said: “The bigger issue is not what kind of content they will crack down on, but right now it’s about what kind of content they will forgive.”
It is clear that the Narendra Modi government is not fundamentally against online content creators. In fact, it wants to harness their influence. Just weeks before the Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister 23 content creators honored at the first National Creators Award. Modi stressed the importance of recognising online creators, saying at the event, “I can feel the time ahead.” Significantly, however, the awards were given to content creators who ideological line of the ruling party.
This has raised concerns that the government is being picky about what kind of content it wants to reward or target. “You won’t see Beer Biceps speaking against the law,” Dr Medusa said, referring to a popular podcaster who won the “Best Disruptor” award from Modi.
An official version of the draft law is still not publicly available. According to Media reportsit was shared with some industry stakeholders in a watermarked format to prevent details from leaking out. “Who are these stakeholders that the government is consulting with?” asked Dr Medusa. “I am also a stakeholder and have no way of knowing what the bill entails.”
The secrecy surrounding the law itself shows there is cause for concern about its intent, said Balram Vishwakarma, who has nearly 150,000 followers on Instagram. Vishwakarma is worried that he will have to change the name of his account “Andheri West Shitposting,” on which he posts humorous videos to raise awareness about social issues in Mumbai. “I think they will have a problem with the word ‘shit,'” he said. “I often make videos on the problems faced by commuters on public transport. Now, if one of the commuters uses an abusive word to express his frustration, should I be punished for it?”
Vishwakarma said he grew up in a Mumbai slum and experienced society’s problems first-hand. “It was only when I went to college that I learned to see these issues from a social justice perspective and the internet gave me the opportunity to express my life experiences. That is the fundamental philosophy of the internet that the bill seeks to snatch away from it.”
