Opposition Parties Criticise Uttar Pradesh Government's New Social Media Policy

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved a new social media policy, which mandates jail terms ranging from three years to life imprisonment for posting "objectionable content."

The policy also offers incentives for promoting government schemes on social media.

Under the new policy, social media posts and content promoting the government's schemes, projects and achievements will be rewarded.

Social media influencers, including agencies and firms, will receive government advertisements in order to promote such content.

Influencers will be categorised into four groups on the basis of the number of followers and subscribers. This will enable them to get rewards of up to Rs 8 lakh per month through government advertisements, depending on the category.

Influencers can earn up to Rs 5 lakh per month for their posts on X, while Facebook content can fetch up to Rs 4 lakh a month. Earnings from Instagram are capped at Rs 3 lakh per month.

The policy for YouTube has a varied incentive range. Standard videos can get up to Rs 8 lakh per month in incentives, while shorts creators can receive up to Rs 7 lakh.

Podcast videos can fetch a maximum of Rs 6 lakh, while other content types on YouTube will earn cash rewards up to Rs 4 lakh per month.

However, the opposition parties have criticised the Digital Media Policy 2024 for the strict measures it adopts against posting objectionable content.

Congress leader Pawan Khera, in a post on X, questioned the definition of "offensive comment."

“Will anti-BJP or anti-government comments be considered 'anti-national'? What is the definition of 'offensive comment'? Are the double-engine governments now preparing to stifle freedom of expression? Due to the opposition of the India Alliance, the Modi government had to withdraw the Broadcast Bill, 2024. Is dictatorship now being brought in through the backdoor?” he asked in a post on X.