UP govt approves new social media policy, anti-national posts can attract life sentences

The policy introduced strict penal actions against social media users who share objectionable content, including anti-national posts.

Those found guilty would be punished with a jail sentence ranging from three years to a life term.

According to an official statement, accessed by India Today, disseminating obscene or defamatory material online can attract criminal defamation charges.

The UP government aims to encourage influencers to share information on government schemes, initiatives, projects, and achievement-based content.

It will give influencers opportunities to earn up to Rs. 8 lakh per month by sharing information about government initiatives.

Such influencers will be awarded the state's advertisements.

The government has listed a digital agency called V-Form to handle its advertisements.

According to the number of subscribers and followers, the government will prepare a list of social media influencers, agencies and firms under four categories. The amount of payment will be based on the category a person falls under.

Sanjay Prasad, Principal Secretary of the state's Information department, said on Tuesday that the government has decided to prepare a list of agencies/firms to provide advertisements to promote them for making and displaying content/tweets/videos/posts/reels about schemes and achievements of the UP government on online platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, reported The Indian Express.