You need at least one lakh followers on either X, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube to be eligible for benefits under the Digital Media Policy of the Uttar Pradesh government. The policy encourages the sharing of government-scheme-based content and offers an opportunity for influencers to earn up to Rs 8 lakh per month. However, posting “anti-national” content may attract stringent punishment, up to life imprisonment.
Officials with the UP government called the state cabinet’s nod to the policy a major step in the direction of regulating social media content. “The cabinet’s nod to the policy would now help in regulating social media content. Besides, it also helps provide employment to the residents of UP living in other parts of the country or even abroad,” said Sanjay Prasad, principal secretary, information department, UP.
Under the policy, posting “anti-national” content is a serious offence, with provisions for legal action ranging from three years of imprisonment to a life term. Such offences so far were covered under Sections 66E and 66F of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Besides, the policy has a provision for initiating legal action against agencies or firms if they upload any “objectionable content”. According to the rules, content “should not be indecent, obscene or anti-national”.
Under the policy, advertisements would be issued by enlisting related agencies or firms to display “content/videos/tweets/posts/reels” based on the schemes or achievements of the state government on digital mediums like X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
“Encouragement will be given to the social media influencers to do so. With the release of this policy, the residents of the state who are living in different parts of the country and abroad will be assured of getting employment in large numbers,” the policy states.
The policy divides social media influencers into four categories, including those on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, based on their subscribers. Rs 8 lakh would be given for generating government scheme-based video content on social media, Rs 6 lakh for promoting content through shorts, and Rs 4 lakh for promoting content through podcasts.
The policy has sparked a debate with some raising concerns about its possible misuse. Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera wrote on X, “Will anti-BJP or anti-government comments be considered anti-national? What will be the definition of the ‘offensive comment’? Are the double engine governments now preparing to trample freedom of expression? Due to opposition from the India alliance, the Modi Government had to withdraw the Broadcast Bill, 2024. It’s the dictatorship now being brought through the backdoor.”
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