How social media apps have raised the government's hackles over cyber safety
We spoke to experts on how the government is cracking the whip on social media apps like TikTok, Helo, and what they can do to comply with cyber security norms

Last week, The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) issued notifications to popular social media apps like Tik Tok and Helo, raising concerns over objectionable video content surfacing on these apps. Chinese company ByteDance owns both the apps. The government asked the company 24 questions, including why the minimum age for users has been fixed at 13 years and also how the company monitors, collects and share user data.
The app earlier came under scrutiny from the Madras High Court, which directed a ban on downloading it, after a man filed a suit saying the app was ‘degrading culture and encouraging pornography.’ However, the ban was lifted later.
In a joint statement, TikTok and Helo said, "Our continued success in India will not be possible without the support of our local community. We take our responsibilities to this community seriously and welcome this opportunity to fully collaborate with the government to meet and exceed our obligations."
According to media reports the app has removed 60 lakh videos for violating content guidelines in India and ByteDance is also reportedly in the process of setting up a data centre in India for TikTok and Helo. Their Indian users’ data is right now stored on servers in Singapore and the US.
The government is getting tougher on privacy concerns and misuse of data. Apps like PUBG, Wechat and many others have also faced the heat.
Cyber expert, Amit Dubey feels the government is coming down heavily on these apps because data can be misused in many ways. “These apps normally sell this data to big players. They use this data for profiling the users and eventually target them for various types of legal and illegal services. Once a user is profiled, it becomes easy for any hacker to hack his mobile or to manipulate his opinion in digital world,” he says.
“The concern from the government for this data is due to the anti-national activities being conducted in the name of fun and freedom of speech. These videos are not limited to entertainment now, but are widely used to run an agenda targeting a specific community or set of people, which could be dangerous in long run.”
What can the government further do to keep a check on such misuse?
“The government must come with detailed instructions, law and regulatory network for all the apps operating in India. After that if any app fails to comply with Indian laws then same must be banned, irrespective of public Impression,” says Virag Gupta, a Supreme Court Advocate and Cyber law Expert.
Deep Mehta, Co- Founder, Digichefs, opines, “The whole digital and app ecosystem is fairly new and legislations around the same can be termed ‘weak’ as of now. There has to be a learning curve to every new technical ecosystem and the app ecosystem has one too.”
“In this phase of identifying the wrongs that apps could trigger, the only way to go forward is by penalizing or warning or suggesting improvements and building a safer ecosystem for the future,” he added.
The government has sprung into action and is preparing new rules for such apps so offensive content and misinformation can be curbed.
What can app owners do to avoid situations like this in the future?
According to Mehta, “User Generated Content [UGC]' is a must for app owners today. Given the bad name that platforms like Facebook have already acquired over debacles like Cambridge Analytica, you can no longer pull yourself away from these responsibilities. Ensuring that unwarranted content doesn't blow out of proportion and influence reader's decisions is a whole operations unit every business owner needs to manage.”
Gupta adds, “The RBI has issued instructions for data localization by payment service companies. In a similar manner other apps should also keep data in India servers. Apps should not illegally sell, share, and transfer the user's data to other platforms. They should not allow children below 13 years in their platforms. For adult content children below 18 should not be permitted.”
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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