Ashwini Vaishnaw Warns Big Tech to Share Revenue with Content Creators

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has called on social media platforms to ensure fair revenue sharing for content creators. Speaking at the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave on Thursday, the Minister emphasized that compensation must be fair for everyone from large news organizations to independent creators in remote areas.

“Social media platforms must share revenue fairly with those creating content,” Vaishnaw stated. He noted that this includes journalists, traditional media, influencers, and researchers who use these platforms to share their work.

A Call for Voluntary Change or Legal Action

The Minister urged digital platforms to rethink their current payment systems. He warned that if platforms do not adjust their policies voluntarily, India may look toward legal solutions.

“I request all platforms to rethink your revenue sharing policies,” he said. “If this is not done voluntarily, many other countries have already shown how it can be done through the law.”

This statement suggests that India could follow global examples where governments mandate tech companies to pay news publishers and creators for using their content.

The Growing Threat of Disinformation and Deepfakes

Beyond revenue, Minister Vaishnaw highlighted “trust” as the most important factor holding society together. He warned that public faith in institutions including the media and the judiciary is currently under threat.

The Minister blamed the rise of deepfakes and disinformation for this decline in trust. He explained that synthetically generated videos and false information lead people to question the basic structure of society.

“The core tenet of trust is under threat,” Vaishnaw explained. He pointed to deepfakes and AI-generated content that have no basis in reality but are spread to mislead the public.

Platforms Must Take Responsibility

Finally, the Minister pushed social media companies to take full responsibility for the content they host. He argued that these platforms have a duty to protect the institutions that human society has built over thousands of years.

“Platforms must take responsibility for the content that is hosted by them,” he emphasized, specifically referring to the spread of disinformation.

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