Can Creators Finally Get Fair Revenue Share Now?

Content creation is the “in thing” in the country. It is a multi-crore industry with over 100 million creators influencing nearly 30% of consumer purchase decisions. Of them, only a few monetise their content directly through social platforms while many others are earning only a modest amount.

Despite the meagre income, many more youngsters are aspiring to join the content creators club, as online platforms provide them an opportunity that can potentially transform them to ‘celebrities’ and become famous.

There is buzz that the big online platforms are not paying the creators their due share of the total revenue generated. Addressing the issue, Union information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged digital platforms to ensure fair revenue sharing with content creators and news organisations. Innovation would suffer if creators are denied due compensation, he said.

Vasihnaw was addressing the Digital News Publishers Association Conclave in New Delhi. He also said that platforms must take responsibility for the content they host and for the online safety of users.

The Union minister urged platforms to respect intellectual property and adopt fair negotiation policies. If digital content companies do not follow the policies voluntarily, he warned them that the government would initiate serious legal action against them, like in other countries.

Vaishnaw also underscored the need to regulate AI-generated content and asked digital platforms to cooperate in addressing various concerns on online content and reinforce public trust.

With the Union Minister firmly expressing the government’s stand, experts believe social media platforms may soon be forced to revisit their revenue-sharing models. If implemented effectively, this could bring long-awaited relief to Indian content creators who have been demanding a fair and transparent share for their work.