Uttar Pradesh: Provision for FIR for anti-national posts in new digital media policy

Lucknow, Aug 28 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the state’s new Digital Media Policy under which social media influencers and content creators will be provided government advertisements on their channels and pages for promoting the policies and programmes of the government.

A provision has been made in the policy that Facebook, Instagram and X and YouTube account holders with number of followers from 1 to 10 lakh can avail the benefit of getting government advertisements by registering with the Department of Information and Public Relations.

Besides, the new Digital Media Policy also includes the provision of registration of FIR against anti-social, anti-national and derogatory posts.

The action, besides lodging an FIR, may include getting the post deleted/ revoking the empanelment / discontinuing the advertisement.

The new policy is regarding enlisting individuals/firms and giving them advertisements to promote government schemes.

Under the policy, the Director, Department of Information and Public Relations has been authorised to take legal action under the relevant provisions of the law against any post deemed to be anti-national, anti-social and derogatory. The policy also mentions that the concerned official will be authorised at the departmental level to provide advertisements and initiate/ take action against inappropriate posts.

Any content, video, tweet, post, reel that is anti-national, anti-social, indecent or hurts the sentiments of various sections of society, based on wrong facts, presents the government schemes in a wrong manner or with wrong intentions, can be taken down and legal action can be initiated.

Also, the page/ channel account holder/ operator, digital media influencers, content writers or related agency/firm posting content related to art, culture and development-related news of Uttar Pradesh will be given priority in terms of providing advertisements.

Under the policy, the content should not be repeated.

Also, the Chief Minister has been authorised to bring in amendment(s) in the rules in the new digital media policy.

–IANS

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