By India’s technology policy debate sharpened on Thursday as Information Technology and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw delivered a blunt message to social media giants: share revenues fairly with content creators or prepare for legal consequences. Speaking at the Digital News Publishers Association Conclave 2026, the minister framed the issue not merely as a commercial dispute but as a test of how digital platforms value intellectual labour in the age of artificial intelligence.
Vaishnaw’s remarks signalled a potential shift in regulatory posture. While India has so far encouraged voluntary compliance from Big Tech firms, the minister made it clear that patience is not unlimited. “Either it is done voluntarily,” he said, “or there are legal pathways to ensure fairness.” Though he did not outline specific legislative measures, his reference to global precedents suggested that India may be studying models where governments have mandated compensation for news publishers.
At the heart of his address was a broader argument: the digital economy rests on original work — journalism, research, commentary, art — yet the financial rewards often accumulate disproportionately with the platforms that distribute it. Vaishnaw stressed that fair compensation must extend beyond established media houses to independent creators in small towns, academics publishing research threads, influencers producing niche educational content, and regional language journalists operating with limited resources.
“The principle has to be set right everywhere,” he said, describing equitable monetisation as essential for sustaining innovation and cultural growth. Without fair returns, he warned, incentives for producing credible and creative work could erode over time.
The minister’s speech, however, moved beyond economics into what he called a deeper crisis of trust. He pointed to the proliferation of deepfakes and synthetic media as a destabilising force in democratic societies. Manipulated videos and AI-generated images, he argued, are blurring the line between reality and fabrication, leading citizens to question institutions and public figures.
“The core tenet of trust is under threat,” Vaishnaw observed, highlighting how convincingly altered content can circulate widely before verification mechanisms catch up. He urged platforms to take direct responsibility for content hosted on their networks, especially where artificial intelligence tools are used to replicate a person’s voice, likeness or identity without consent.
In his view, explicit consent should be a non-negotiable standard for synthetic content featuring identifiable individuals. The rapid advancement of AI technologies, he said, has changed the nature of the internet itself, demanding updated guardrails to protect users — particularly children — from harm.
While the minister did not single out any company, his remarks were clearly aimed at major global platforms whose algorithms drive digital advertising revenues. The underlying message was that with scale comes accountability — both in sharing profits and safeguarding public discourse.
The conclave, themed “The New World Order of News: Rewriting the Playbook for a Resilient Digital Future,” brought policymakers and media executives together at a time when regulatory frameworks worldwide are struggling to keep pace with technological disruption. Vaishnaw’s intervention suggests that India is preparing to take a firmer stance, balancing innovation with fairness.
Whether platforms respond with revised revenue-sharing models or brace for legislative action may determine the next chapter in India’s evolving digital governance story.
