A new draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024, currently under industry consultations, has raised serious concerns over the fate of media freedom in the country, as it seeks to redefine digital news broadcasters in a sweeping way. Apart from stifling the regulatory framework, it contains provisions to label individual content creators who upload multimedia content related to current affairs on various social media platforms as digital news broadcasters. Social media influencers and other digital creators with a user base above a set limit will be required to notify the government of their presence within one month of the new law coming into force.
They must also register under a three-tier regulatory framework and will also be required to establish a content evaluation committee at their own expense to review all content before publication. This is the second draft of the bill, which aims to address the ambiguities identified in the initial draft presented for public consultation in November last year. Instead of addressing the shortcomings, the new draft has raised more concerns as it provides sweeping powers to the central government to control digital media. The government is trying to control narrative, especially targetting the social media influencers. Dhruv Rathee, whose videos exposed the Narendra Modi-led government and singlehandedly destroyed the propaganda of the present regime, has made the government scared of YouTubers. The government to a large extent already controls the mainstream electronic media. Now it is trying to control digital platform, which has been largely functioning independently. This is not in the interest of the nation.