UP's social media policy: Life term for anti-national posts, cap on earning

Under the Uttar Pradesh government's new social media policy, posting anti-national content is a serious offence, with penalty ranging from three years to life imprisonment

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved a new social media policy designed to regulate content on platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube. This policy outlines procedures for managing objectionable social media content and requires legal measures to be taken.

Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet gave its approval to the Uttar Pradesh Digital Media Policy, 2024, which was prepared by the state’s information department.

According to the updated policy, posting anti-national material is considered a serious offence with stringent consequences, including penalties that could extend from three years to a life sentence. Historically, similar actions were managed under Sections 66E and 66F of the Information Technology (IT) Act, which pertain to breaches of privacy and cyberterrorism.

Furthermore, the official statement mentions that sharing obscene or defamatory content online could lead to criminal defamation charges, emphasising the legal consequences of abusing digital platforms.

The policy outlines that the government has appointed a digital agency named ‘V-Form’ to manage advertisements. ‘V-Form’ will oversee the display of videos, tweets, posts, and reels.

Payment limits for social media platforms

The policy has also introduced specific payment limits for influencers, account holders, and operators across various social media platforms to regulate earnings. For platform X, the maximum amount an individual can receive per month is capped at Rs 5 lakh. On Facebook, the upper limit is set at Rs 4 lakh, while Instagram imposes a cap of Rs 3 lakh per month.

On YouTube, the policy provides distinct payment caps depending on the type of content. For standard videos, the maximum permissible payment is Rs 8 lakh per month. Content creators producing shorts can earn up to Rs 7 lakh, whereas those generating podcasts are limited to Rs 6 lakh. Additionally, other types of content on YouTube are subject to a payment limit of Rs 4 lakh.

Following the cabinet meeting, Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad said, “Today, policy is being made for social media, Instagram... Now they will be regulated and they will also be given advertisements.”

[With agency inputs]