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Tag: social media platforms

  • Supreme Court puts OTT and social media sleaze on notice

    Supreme Court puts OTT and social media sleaze on notice

    MUMBAI:  The supreme court on Monday fired a warning shot across the bows of the government, streaming giants, and social media platforms, flagging the unchecked spread of obscene and sexually explicit content online.

    A bench led by justice B R Gavai and justice Augustine George Masih issued notices to the Centre and a who’s who of Big Tech — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Meta, X Corp, Google, Apple, Ullu, and ALTT — after a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by journalist Uday Mahurkar and others called for urgent curbs on indecent material floating unchecked across digital platforms.

    “This petition raises an important concern,” said justice Gavai, cautioning that the issue was best left to the executive or legislature lest the court be accused of overreach. Nevertheless, he nudged solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, to act: “Do something… something legislative.”

    Mehta did not dispute the concerns, describing some content as so perverted “that even two respectable people cannot sit together and watch,” but stressed that censorship was not an option. He added that regulations under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, were in place — and more were under contemplation.

    The petitioners, represented by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, called for the establishment of a National Content Control Authority to monitor and regulate streaming and social media output until a comprehensive law is enacted. The plea warned that without action, the flood of sexually explicit, paedophilic and perverse material could corrupt young minds, fuel deviant behaviour, and trigger a rise in crimes against women and children.

    “What was once an individual vice has now become a public menace,” the petition thundered, accusing platforms like X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Netflix, and Ullu of promoting explicit content without adequate checks.

    While the Supreme Court has not set a timeline for the next hearing, the Centre’s response will be pivotal in shaping how India reins in its booming but increasingly controversial digital content ecosystem. For India’s streaming giants, the party might just be about to face a reality check.

  • 61% consumers watch online video content like YouTube/OTT on their mobile/home TV: Axis My India Sep CSI Survey

    61% consumers watch online video content like YouTube/OTT on their mobile/home TV: Axis My India Sep CSI Survey

    Mumbai: Axis My India, a leading consumer data intelligence company, released its latest findings of the India Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI), a monthly analysis of consumer perception on a wide range of issues.

    According to reports, 20 per cent of consumers are planning to shop more this festive season. On media consumption, 61 per cent mentioned that they watch online video content either on their mobiles or connected TV. 32 per cent mentioned that they notice advertising on TV, followed by digital (26 per cent). An interesting observation was on app usage. On average, nine apps are used by a smartphone user.

    The net CSI score for September, calculated by percentage increase minus percentage decrease in sentiment, is at +10, from +9 last month, reflecting an increase of one point. The sentiment analysis delves into five relevant sub-indices: overall household spending; spending on essential and non-essential items; spending on healthcare; media consumption habits; and mobility trends.

    Key Findings:

    •     Overall, household spending has increased for 61 per cent of families, which is the same as in August. The net score, which was +52 last month, has increased by +1 to +53 in September.
    •     Consumption of media remains the same as the previous month, i.e., 19 per cent. The overall net score, which is -1 in September, also remains the same.
    •     Mobility has increased for seven per cent of families, representing a one per cent increase over the previous month.
    •     Spending on essentials like personal care and household items has increased for 46 per cent of the families, which is an increase of one per cent from last month. The net score, which was at +26 this month, has increased by +3 to +29.
    •     Spending on non-essential and discretionary products like air conditioners, cars, and refrigerators has increased for seven per cent of families, which reflects an increase of one per cent from last month. The net score, which was at nil last month, has improved to +2 this month. This could reflect the spirit of the festive season approaching.
    •      Consumption of health-related items has increased for 37 per cent of the families, which reflects a decrease of one per cent from last month. The health score, which has a negative connotation i.e., the less spent on health items, the better the sentiments, has a net score value of -23 for September, as compared to -24 last month.

    On topics of current national interest:

    •      In an attempt to understand consumers’ engagement with mobile apps, the survey discovered that, on average, consumers have nine apps on their smartphones. 16 per cent use a minimum of 4–8 apps on their smartphone, and 22 per cent have more than eight apps. A significant 24 per cent mentioned that they use a feature phone.
    •     In order to determine which medium advertisements are more likely to be noticed, the survey discovered that a majority of 32 per cent notice ads on TV, while 26 per cent notice them on online media. It was also discovered that only 17 per cent notice ads on social media platforms, 15 per cent in print, six per cent in outdoor and two per cent on radio.
    •      The survey further revealed that a majority of 61 per cent watch online video content like YouTube or OTT on their mobile/home TV.
    •     Digging deeper into the festive spirit, the survey shows that 20 per cent plan to shop more this festive season compared to last year. However, 32 per cent plan to shop the same as last year.
    •     According to the Axis My India Consumer Sentiment Index Survey, 48 per cent of consumers shop/purchase more products during the festive season as compared to the rest of the year.
    •      Exploring farmers’ sentiments towards new tractors, the survey found out that 10 per cent are planning to purchase new tractors in the coming year, while three per cent and two per cent plan to do so within six months and three months, respectively. For reasons like smaller land size, renting, or affordability, a significant 86 per cent of farmers don’t own a tractor.

    The survey was carried out via computer-aided telephonic interviews with a sample size of 10014 people across 32 states and UTs. 68 per cent belonged to rural India, while 32 per cent belonged to urban India. In terms of regional spread, 23 per cent belong to the northern parts while 24 per cent belong to the eastern parts of India. Moreover, 29 per cent and 23 per cent belonged to the western and southern parts of India, respectively. 59 per cent of the respondents were male, while 41 per cent were female. In terms of the two majority sample groups, 32 per cent reflect the age group of 36-year olds to 50-year olds, while 31 per cent reflect the age group of 26-year olds to 35-year olds.

    Axis My India chairman and MD Pradeep Gupta said, “After compromising the past two festive seasons because of the pandemic and its related constraints, this year consumers are expected to shop more during festivities. One can already witness a slight increase in expenses across essential and discretionary products. Further improvement in mobility sentiments highlights the fact that more and more people are enjoying the stores’ and malls’ experiences of discovering, shopping, and gifting.”

    He further added, “This sentiment is also extended among the Indian farmers, wherein a significant percentage of 15 per cent intend to buy a brand new tractor in the next one year. This is thus a crucial time for the Indian advertising business as spending is expected to bring a lot more returns than usual. As more and more people (61 per cent) are watching online video content (YouTube/OTT) on their mobile/home TV and thereby noticing ads across TV, online and social media platforms, it is of utmost importance for the media industry to tap the right medium for addressing differentiated consumer needs.”

  • Petition filed against new intermediary and digital media rules before Delhi HC

    Petition filed against new intermediary and digital media rules before Delhi HC

    KOLKATA: Last month, the Centre notified new rules for digital media which caused a stir amid the industry’s online content providers. Now, a petition has been moved before the Delhi high court challenging the new rules under the Information Technology Act to regulate internet intermediaries, over-the-top (OTT) platforms and digital news media.

    The plea has been filed by the Foundation of Independent Journalism. It will be heard on 9 March by a division bench headed by chief justice DN Patel.

    Several journalists, lawyers and activists have decried the rules as an attempt to muzzle freedom of press by laying the ground for tightening executive control over digital media. The Editors Guild of India last week demanded the repeal of these rules.

    The government laid down new rules for social media platforms on 25 February, making a distinction between social media intermediaries and significant social media intermediaries. In a gazette notification, it also specified five million registered users in India as the threshold for significant social media intermediaries.

    “Social media platforms have done exceedingly well in terms of business and the number of users, while also empowering ordinary Indians. But it is very important that crores of social media users must be given a proper forum for resolution of their grievances against use and abuse of social media in a time-bound manner,” said union information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

    Each significant social media intermediary would be required to appoint a chief compliance officer, a nodal contact person for 24×7 coordination with law enforcement agencies and a resident grievance officer. All three would be resident Indians. They will also have to publish a monthly compliance report mentioning the details of complaints received and action taken.

    They will also have to give a prior intimation, in cases where they remove/disable access to any information (social media post) on their accord. So, the platforms will now have to communicate to the users, the grounds and reasons for such action and give users adequate opportunity to dispute the action taken by the intermediary.

    The government also asked the significant social media intermediaries providing services primarily in the nature of messaging to enable identification of the first originator of the information.

  • Guest Column: 7 digital trends that will dominate 2017

    Guest Column: 7 digital trends that will dominate 2017

    As a digital marketing specialist, I often get asked by peers, clients and friends alike: “What can marketers look out for in the digital space next year? “Digital is by far the fastest growing medium and we can gear up for exciting times ahead. Here’s a peek at the top digital marketing trends (in random order) that, in my opinion, will reign supreme in 2017.

    1. Video, the shining star: Video has come to the fore like never before, with talks of it replacing television even. Video on Demand and Over the Top content on mobile are doing well and marketers will jump on the bandwagon. With the introduction of apps like Sony LIV, Hotstar and Voot performing well, this category is poised for significant growth. Research has shown that the engagement levels of video ads through mobile are significantly higher when compared to television ads. Mobile video ads too are extremely popular and an effective form of mobile advertising today, especially in the case of in-app and native video ads. Live videos especially will see great growth.

    2. My mobile strongest: With the 4G entry, increased internet speeds and the 200 million odd smartphone users in India, mobile devices have become a preferred medium to consume content. Mobile advertising is like any other exponential technology and will adorn a large part of the digital landscape in the future. Though it occupies only four per cent of the advertising pie currently, it is almost doubling every year. It could be half of all advertising in about five years. Mobile optimization will be a top priority. Over and above the upsurge in dedicated mobile apps, mobile will also be the best medium to consume local and regional content, which most industry players are attempting to ace.

    3. Intelligence goes artificial: Been reading all about Chabots lately? Yes, artificial intelligence has arrived, and will see more traction in the next couple of years. This combined with concepts like robotics and machine learning are set to revolutionize digital and disrupt most industries. It will replace the functions human beings do, not human beings altogether. The best part about machines is that once one machine makes a mistake, no other machine makes a mistake! This makes concepts like voice assistants sound last season.

    4. The rise of augmented and virtual reality: The possibility of augmented and virtual reality as an advertising format is exciting, since that pretty much increases the screen size to infinity. Apart from advertising, augmented and virtual reality will go more mainstream and create a paradigm shift in all sectors as consumers seek real life immersive experiences.Pokémon Go gave us a flavor of the same, however reflected only a fraction of capabilities of the concept. Imagine falling off a cliff into a large net with the logo of a particular brand, you will never forget the brand after that experience!

    5. Data, data and data: Data is the lifeline of marketers – its actionable insights and analysis form the crux of any brand campaign, not just digital. Technologies that can identify customer psychographics, demographics, behavioral patterns, preferences more and more minutely, will rise rapidly. Visualization and interpretation of the data will be an increasing need. If companies tried hard to crack the consumer code last year, they will try much harder this year. Automation will drive digital – as they say, there is nothing like too much data.

    6. About the Internet of Things: Wearable technology will keep looking at reinventing itself to solve more problems, change the way we interact with each other and redefine how businesses target its customers. Smart devices will get smarter as consolidation will be the answer to most services. Product experiences will take centre-stage rather than pushing mere features and capabilities. Innovation will be at its best as marketing attempts to get more real.

    7. Social media under the limelight: Research shows that a majority of the millions of Internet users in urban India regularly access social media platforms. Personalized content will gain popularity and users will demand real-time information. Brands will be compelled to shell out more monies in a bid to gain increased visibility in the cluttered space given most have turned to social media for their marketing solutions. Also, social media platforms will eventually provide end-to-end services making it more user-friendly.

    The biggest trend, however, is that we are moving from digital advertising to digital age – where digital will play the role of a catalyst and multiplier for every facet of an organization rather than being limited to advertising and communication.

      http://www.indiantelevision.com/sites/drupal7.indiantelevision.co.in/files/styles/large/public/vivek_0.jpg?itok=sKo4Mw7cVivek Bhargava is CEO, DAN Performance Group. The views expressed here are personal and Indiantelevision.com need not necessarily subscribe to them
  • Guest Column: 7 digital trends that will dominate 2017

    Guest Column: 7 digital trends that will dominate 2017

    As a digital marketing specialist, I often get asked by peers, clients and friends alike: “What can marketers look out for in the digital space next year? “Digital is by far the fastest growing medium and we can gear up for exciting times ahead. Here’s a peek at the top digital marketing trends (in random order) that, in my opinion, will reign supreme in 2017.

    1. Video, the shining star: Video has come to the fore like never before, with talks of it replacing television even. Video on Demand and Over the Top content on mobile are doing well and marketers will jump on the bandwagon. With the introduction of apps like Sony LIV, Hotstar and Voot performing well, this category is poised for significant growth. Research has shown that the engagement levels of video ads through mobile are significantly higher when compared to television ads. Mobile video ads too are extremely popular and an effective form of mobile advertising today, especially in the case of in-app and native video ads. Live videos especially will see great growth.

    2. My mobile strongest: With the 4G entry, increased internet speeds and the 200 million odd smartphone users in India, mobile devices have become a preferred medium to consume content. Mobile advertising is like any other exponential technology and will adorn a large part of the digital landscape in the future. Though it occupies only four per cent of the advertising pie currently, it is almost doubling every year. It could be half of all advertising in about five years. Mobile optimization will be a top priority. Over and above the upsurge in dedicated mobile apps, mobile will also be the best medium to consume local and regional content, which most industry players are attempting to ace.

    3. Intelligence goes artificial: Been reading all about Chabots lately? Yes, artificial intelligence has arrived, and will see more traction in the next couple of years. This combined with concepts like robotics and machine learning are set to revolutionize digital and disrupt most industries. It will replace the functions human beings do, not human beings altogether. The best part about machines is that once one machine makes a mistake, no other machine makes a mistake! This makes concepts like voice assistants sound last season.

    4. The rise of augmented and virtual reality: The possibility of augmented and virtual reality as an advertising format is exciting, since that pretty much increases the screen size to infinity. Apart from advertising, augmented and virtual reality will go more mainstream and create a paradigm shift in all sectors as consumers seek real life immersive experiences.Pokémon Go gave us a flavor of the same, however reflected only a fraction of capabilities of the concept. Imagine falling off a cliff into a large net with the logo of a particular brand, you will never forget the brand after that experience!

    5. Data, data and data: Data is the lifeline of marketers – its actionable insights and analysis form the crux of any brand campaign, not just digital. Technologies that can identify customer psychographics, demographics, behavioral patterns, preferences more and more minutely, will rise rapidly. Visualization and interpretation of the data will be an increasing need. If companies tried hard to crack the consumer code last year, they will try much harder this year. Automation will drive digital – as they say, there is nothing like too much data.

    6. About the Internet of Things: Wearable technology will keep looking at reinventing itself to solve more problems, change the way we interact with each other and redefine how businesses target its customers. Smart devices will get smarter as consolidation will be the answer to most services. Product experiences will take centre-stage rather than pushing mere features and capabilities. Innovation will be at its best as marketing attempts to get more real.

    7. Social media under the limelight: Research shows that a majority of the millions of Internet users in urban India regularly access social media platforms. Personalized content will gain popularity and users will demand real-time information. Brands will be compelled to shell out more monies in a bid to gain increased visibility in the cluttered space given most have turned to social media for their marketing solutions. Also, social media platforms will eventually provide end-to-end services making it more user-friendly.

    The biggest trend, however, is that we are moving from digital advertising to digital age – where digital will play the role of a catalyst and multiplier for every facet of an organization rather than being limited to advertising and communication.

      http://www.indiantelevision.com/sites/drupal7.indiantelevision.co.in/files/styles/large/public/vivek_0.jpg?itok=sKo4Mw7cVivek Bhargava is CEO, DAN Performance Group. The views expressed here are personal and Indiantelevision.com need not necessarily subscribe to them
  • FoxyMorons executed Garnier Mens initiative enters its second phase

    FoxyMorons executed Garnier Mens initiative enters its second phase

    MUMBAI: Garnier Men that initiated the PowerLight A Village campaign earlier this year in collaboration with Project Chirag with an aim to light up hundreds of rural households in India that are without any electricity entered its second phase.

     

    The campaign was aimed at creating awareness among consumers to contribute through their pledges on social media and be a part of a movement that will help Garnier Men in the identification and electrification of lightless villages across India using solar power. The initiative, which is digitally executed by FoxyMoron, provides electricity to remote villages in India.

     

    In its second phase, close to 800 households across India have benefited via the process of rural electrification with over 1,487,426 watts generated online. The initiative has received 7589 tweets and the total user engagement has increased by almost 900 per cent till now on the social media platforms.

     

    Through the simple medium of social media, Garnier Men reached out to more than a million consumers and encouraged them to participate in the campaign.

     

    FoxyMoron co-founder and online strategist Harshil Karia said, “Brands taking on projects for social good is the future. We believe that a brand speaks through its actions more than advertisements and are humbled to be associated with Garnier Men that has taken this bold step through the ‘PowerLight A Village’ campaign. We have received tremendous support from all the fans who truly care and believe in this cause. It will be our aim to continue to drive strong engagement to light up not only homes but lives of people living in darkness.”

     

    Garnier, L’Oréal India general manager Rupika Raman said, “At Garnier, we believe that our tagline ‘Take Care’ does not mean only taking care of yourself, but also taking care of the society. In keeping with this, we are proud to present ‘PowerLight a Village’, which is a unique campaign that helps empower change in our society through a simple action on social media.”

     

    Garnier Men has collaborated with Chirag Rural Development Foundation (Project Chirag) as its implementation partner. The Foundation has been championing the cause of rural electrification and is instrumental in providing electrification to over 125 villages across the country.