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The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) is looking into YouTube for allegedly violating content policies.

Under Section 69A of the IT Act, the central government is legally empowered to "block public access to any information generated, transmitted, received, stored, or hosted in any computer resource" by issuing directives to intermediaries to protect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the defense of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, maintaining public order, and preventing incitement to commit any cognizable offense related to the above.

A source familiar with the matter claimed that multiple requests were made by MIB to take down certain content which were violating content policy norms and laws in the country. Despite that the Google-owned platform failed to take down or restrict certain content, claiming that YouTube's community guidelines were not violated. 

In a response to questions sent by Storyboard18, YouTube said, "We have clear policies for removal requests from governments around the world. We review government removal requests when notified through the correct legal processes, and also review flagged content for violations of our Community Guidelines. And, where appropriate, we restrict or remove content in keeping with local laws and our Terms of Service after a thorough review. All of these requests are tracked and included in our Transparency Report."

In March 2024, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directed YouTube to block a CBC News documentary that focused on the Indian government's alleged role in the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil. X (formerly Twitter) was also reportedly ordered by MeitY to disable posts related to the documentary.

Since January to June, 2023, Google received 2191 content removal requests from the government while from July to December 2023, 1677 content removal requests were made from the government. 

Over the past ten years, the Indian government has requested Google to remove approximately 115,500 pieces of content from its platforms, including YouTube, web browser, etc. According to a Surfshark study, India is now the third-highest country in terms of content removal requests sent to Google.

"Most of the content India requested to remove was from YouTube (8.8k), Google Play Apps (4.3k), and Web Search (1.4k)," the report stated.

Between 2013 and 2022, Indian government agencies requested Google to take down content over 19,600 times. The analysis showed that 'defamation' was one of the most frequent reasons for these requests. 

EXCLUSIVE: YouTube under MIB’s scrutiny for violating content policy

On Thursday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced that Google-owned YouTube will establish an academy in Amaravati. The academy will focus on artificial intelligence, content development, and skill development, to turn Andhra Pradesh into India's digital epicentre.

Naidu wrote on X: “Delighted to connect with @YouTube Global CEO, Mr @nealmohan, and @Google APAC Head, Mr Sanjay Gupta online today. We discussed setting up a YouTube Academy in Andhra Pradesh, in collaboration with local partners, to foster AI, content development, skill development and certification programmes. Furthermore, we explored avenues for providing technical support for the Media City initiative in our capital, Amaravati.”

The virtual meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan and Google’s president of the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, Sanjay Gupta, YouTube vice president Leslie Miller, Google India's managing director for government affairs and public policy Sreenivasa Reddy and Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu will now lead to formally signing of an MoU. 

Naidu has also revealed plans for a comprehensive partnership with Google under the 'AI for Andhra Pradesh, Powered by Google' initiative.

This comprehensive partnership will encompass AI applications in agriculture, healthcare, and sustainability, as well as skill development, startup ecosystems, AI workforce cultivation, MSME support through digital credit and AI-driven governance," the government said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/youtube-keeps-a-close-watch-on-broadcasting-bill-analysing-it-says-neal-mohan-ceo-39113.htm">Read more: YouTube keeps a close watch on Broadcasting Bill, ‘analysing it’, says Neal Mohan, CEO</a>

Google leadership discusses setting up YouTube Academy in Andhra Pradesh

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting recently released the second draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2024, which brings OTT platforms like YouTube under its scope. Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, stated that the YouTube team is part of the consultative process and is currently analyzing the Bill.

According to the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2024, the new law will apply to content creators, both large and small, with a threshold of more than 1 million subscribers, including news and non-news, and both Indian and non-Indian citizens. India being one of the largest market for YouTube, has 11,000 Indian channels with over a million subscribers. 

Additionally, platforms such as YouTube and other OTT platforms must keep the government informed about their subscriber base by registering with self-regulatory bodies and ensuring that content is screened before publishing. Both platforms and content creators need to have a Grievance Redressal Mechanism and provide sign-language content. Non-compliance could result in fines of up to ₹1 crore and up to five years in jail.

Speaking about the recent Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill 2024, which the Indian government is seeking to replace the thirty-year-old Cable TV Networks Act 1995 with, Neal Mohan told CNBC TV18 that it is still too early to comment and that the YouTube team is reviewing the bill.

"We are looking forward to the consultative process with the government and continuing those conversations. So that's probably the most I would be able to say about that. My team is obviously going through the analysis of it as well," Mohan added.

He said that YouTube will continue to abide by the laws of any country and if there is a certain law that requires compliance, the platform will do so. YouTube, as a platform, has always been a pioneer in moderating its content and maintaining high standards of authenticity.

Elaborating on the platform's Ethical Code of Conduct, Mohan said, "We are an open platform, a place where there are all kinds of opinions and all types of speech. We have always had community guidelines, and it's our job, our responsibility at YouTube, to make sure that our community guidelines stay up to date."

He further said, "Every quarter, the video-sharing platform takes down millions of videos that violate its community guidelines."

In its latest report, YouTube stated that it had taken down over 9 million videos in the December 2023 quarter, of which over 8 million were in violation.

"We pride ourselves on being very efficient in terms of removal because they clutter the experience and get in the way of the viewer and creator experiences," Mohan added.

Neal Mohan also spoke about the platform's participation with the governments and other stakeholders, saying, "I do think what happens in the world happens on YouTube, and what happens on YouTube does influence what happens in the world, and that is why living up to our responsibility is my top priority. It is a shared goal between the company and the governments of the countries in which YouTube operates."

The platform works in tandem with all regulators and stakeholders to ensure that users get the most benefit while also ensuring that those users are protected, he added.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/youtube-will-continue-to-develop-ai-technology-for-creative-expression-neal-mohan-youtube-ceo-39048.htm">Read more: YouTube will continue to develop AI technology for creative expression: Neal Mohan, YouTube CEO</a>

YouTube keeps a close watch on Broadcasting Bill, ‘analysing it’, says Neal Mohan, CEO



YouTube is extending its battle against ad blockers to mobile devices by implementing measures to counter the use of ad-blocking software on smartphones and tablets. In a community post on Monday, they said they are strengthening their enforcement on third-party apps that violate YouTube’s terms of service, specifically ad-blocking apps. 
 

Viewers who are using these third-party apps may experience buffering issues or see the error “The following content is not available on this app” when trying to watch a video. 


“We want to emphasize that our terms don’t allow third-party apps to turn off ads because that prevents the creator from being rewarded for viewership, and Ads on YouTube help support creators and let billions of people around the world use the streaming service. We also understand that some people prefer an entirely ad-free experience, which is why we offer YouTube Premium," they said in the post. 
 

The post made it clear that YouTube only allow third-party apps to use their API when they follow their 'API Services Terms of Service', and when they find an app that violates these terms, they take appropriate action to protect the platform, creators, and viewers.
 

YouTube steps up crackdown on ad blockers for mobile devices

Two years ago, YouTube introduced Shorts in India. Today, Shorts are generating 30 billion views per day, which is four times more than one year ago. Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director, APAC, YouTube Partnerships, says the language platter and the content genre is only growing in the market and Shorts is fueling the growth. He also talks about monetization on the platform and more. 

Edited excerpts.

Shorts completed two years in India. How has it been? And what has the growth story been like from where you started to where you are now? 

YouTube as a platform is over 14 years old in India. When we got started, our primary mission was to democratize video creation. Until that point, the world really saw storytelling as being the forte of a few. Our goal was to really, truly, truly democratize this in a manner that anyone who is interested in sharing a story should be able to share it. Our role in that was to use technology to take out all the friction in the operationalization of it and help good stories to be discovered, consumed and engaged with. That is really what we’ve been able to do in scale over these many years.

YouTube Shorts was announced two years ago; we flagged that off in India. The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) program was only available and enabled for long form and mid form content. So, we launched a YouTube Shorts fund, in which we worked closely with content creators to help them see a line of revenue for their work.

While we see a lot of entertaining content on the platform, what is the kind of interest you have seen brands? Are brands using Shorts like they are using other UGC platforms for integrations? Help us understand with some examples.

YouTube has enabled so many different formats to co-exist and speak to one another: long form videos, snappy Shorts, livestreams and deep dive podcasts. Advertisers can, therefore, choose to talk to their target audiences- in as many forms of stories, across as many devices, as many languages and as many times a day - effectively and at scale. 

YouTube Shorts are generating 30 billion views per day globally. India was the first country where we launched Shorts and we’re proud of how quickly YouTube Shorts have become popular in India. Brands are starting to see results too. For instance, Oreo, which started its very first Shorts Challenge in Tamil Nadu with 10 of our top creators in the market to launch Oreo Double Stuf during Pongal last year. With 8 million views on their content, the brand was able to build salience in the market, improving branded searches and household penetration in a key market for them. 

How important is India as a market for YouTube when it comes to Shorts? How does it compare to other markers?

We saw the great potential and engagement short form content has for today’s increasingly mobile viewer. That’s why two years ago, we introduced YouTube Shorts, first in India, to make it easier to watch and create short-form content on YouTube. It was where our journey began, and it’s encouraging to see the adoption and excitement the product brings to both creators and viewers. 

We truly believe that what moves India, has the potential to shape the world. Digital video has become a gateway to the world for millions of Indians. In particular, short form video, which is easy to consume and create, represents opportunity like no other - to be entertained and inspired, to learn and earn, to connect and grow. 

When we introduced Shorts, we knew that we were bringing an important new format for creators and that our creators are leveraging Shorts to help breathe new life into their existing channels or inform a new content and engagement strategy is testament to their creativity.

We’re constantly impressed that creators are getting really innovative with how they use the full breadth of video formats that YouTube offers to meet their personal and business goals: from growing views and subscribers, reaching out to new audiences and growing their earning potential. 

Shorts has helped capture the interest and imagination of mobile-first creators and viewers who from whom a smartphone is a window to a world of opportunity. In India, Shorts is lowering the barriers for under-represented voices to come to the fore and pursue their passions; many of whom may otherwise have not had a platform to do so. We’re seeing creators across languages, socio-economic backgrounds and even India’s hinterlands turn to Shorts to share their passions, grow their channels and build successful careers.

Shorts has introduced a new monetization format. Please help us understand how it will benefit the platform and the creators?

We recently unveiled the next chapter in rewarding creativity on the platform by expanding the platform’s monetization system, YPP, to allow more creators to join the program, introducing new ways for creators to earn revenue through Shorts, and re-imagining the music industry and creator dynamic by opening up ads monetization for those who feature music in their videos. 

Starting in early 2023, Shorts-focused creators can apply to YPP by meeting a threshold of 1000 subscribers and 10 million Shorts views over 90 days. These new partners will enjoy all the benefits YPP offers, including ads monetization across Shorts and long-form YouTube videos. This is another option to the existing criteria where long-form creators can still apply to YPP when they reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours. Creators can choose the one option that best fits their channel while YouTube maintains the same level of brand safety for advertisers. To support creators who are early in their YouTube journey, YouTube will also introduce a new level of YPP with lower requirements that will offer earlier access to Fan Funding features like Super Thanks, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Channel Memberships. 

To reward the new creative class, beginning in early 2023, we’ll be moving away from a fixed fund and doubling down on a unique revenue sharing model for Shorts for both current and future YPP creators. Because ads run between videos in the Shorts Feed, every month, revenue from these ads will be added together and used to reward Shorts creators and help cover costs of music licensing. From the overall amount allocated to creators, they will keep 45 percent of the revenue, distributed based on their share of total Shorts views. The revenue share remains the same, no matter if they use music or not. 

YouTube Shorts came to India at a very opportune time. It came right when UGC was becoming very popular and the market was expanding beyond metros. Throw some light on how you managed to gain footing in the Bharat market?

When you look at all of the digital platforms in the country, YouTube is fueled by voice, video and vernacular. So, because of that, the innate ability for the platform to go to every nook and corner of the country, and be understood, be loved, and be engaged, is very natural. It actually is the easiest form of communication that somebody can get on the digital connected platform.

We started off with a predominantly English language journey and then Hindi language content started to take off from India’s metro cities. If you remember, back in the day a lot of our creators were comedy centric and from urban centers.

Now in the last five to seven years, two very big things have happened with YouTube. The content creation has gone into the heartland of Hindi speaking markets. Hindi has become far more reflective of the evolving user base that has happened. Now it’s no longer a metro phenomenon.

We’re also seeing a host of other languages also doing very well on YouTube. Telugu and Tamil continue to be heavy-use cohorts for us. The richness of the language space has been unbelievable for us. From Punjabi, Haryanvi, Bhojpuri, Bengali, to Marathi, Gujarati, there is just an extraordinary breadth of languages. Shorts has helped these markets as well. We have seen extraordinary volume from these language markets.

Ours is a journey that is really about going wider and deeper and Shorts is helping us fuel that in even more in a significant manner.

Platforms that offer both long form and short format content often see the latter stealing all the limelight. Have you noticed any such pattern?

No creator says that I want to be a short-form creator or a long-form creator. They want to be storytellers and they want to express themselves and tell their stories in different forms. We might think about telling a story today that may need 10 or 20 minutes but tomorrow, we may have a story that may shine in 30 seconds.

Our role as a platform is to give a very versatile toolkit that can help a creator succeed in every format. That’s the core of what we do. When you think about video creation, our job is to give a toolkit that helps any video creator, do what they want to do, and express themselves with the least amount of friction. We do believe that both creators and users do not ever say that I’ll only consume a story, if it is, of this size or this form. They actually want a powerful story. The ability to have that sort of freedom with scale and the best technology is really what we do. That’s what we’re focused on. That’s what we’ll always be focused on.

What are your future plans for the offering? What are the top priorities when it comes to new plans for Shorts in India in FY-23?

Shorts is a natural evolution for us: YouTube Shorts is a new way to create and watch short, mobile videos. If you think about YouTube’s earliest days, we launched with a short 18-second video, ‘Me at the Zoo’. What changed since then is how easy it’s become to create and watch short-form videos. We wanted to make it even easier for people to create short videos on YouTube using their phones, so Shorts is a natural evolution for us. 

We’re building features that are unique to YouTube. We’re bringing all short-form video to YouTube, and all of YouTube to short-form video in a really significant way. There are billions of videos on YouTube - by unlocking those videos for features like remixing so people can sample from those in their own Shorts, we’re creating a real playground of creativity like never before. We have the ability to connect multiple ecosystems - YouTube as we know it today, YouTube Music, and now YouTube Shorts. You can imagine what this might look like in the future - it will allow people to connect more deeply with the content, creators, and artists they’re most interested in. This truly is just the beginning.

EXCLUSIVE: What moves India has the potential to shape the world, says YouTube's Ajay Vidyasagar

Between 2015 and 2018, I ran 5 seasons of Pro Kabaddi. It had become the number 2 sport on television in India right after the very first season. Yet - all this while - I was also marketing cricket in every avatar – domestic, team India and multilateral ICC tournaments and in every format viz: test series, ODI, and T20 events. I viewed sports from a marketer and broadcaster’s perspective which is the key to commercialisation. I serve as the chairperson for the sports development and promotion committee of the Lawn Bowls Federation in India. It is a commonwealth medal sport with a storied history patronised by aristocracy and royalty in Britain and across the commonwealth. It is aiming to grow in popularity via the setting up of rudimentary infrastructure and getting people to play and watch.

In 2018-19, I served as pro bono advisor to the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of India. This association came about as I had earlier developed the plan and launch for Khelo India, a marquee initiative of the government which has now become successfully institutionalised.

My exposure to sport as a fan, marketer, broadcaster, sponsor and administrator has made me aware of the dynamics of sport adoption, growth and fan following but I am still looking to understand why some sports flourish while others do not.

Mortal Combat

Dozens of sports are struggling with commercial viability whilst a few are richer than the richest banks. The globalisation of most sports continues unabated. This trend is aided by technology which makes 24/7 sports audiences a reality. Successful sports make for a short list. Football, Basketball, Cricket, Rugby, American Football, Motorsport, Tennis, Cycling are on it. There are challenges in commercial success for one and all.

Everywhere, revenues are flowing in with increasing viscosity. Attention spans are smaller and viewer engagement is shrinking. Aggregated minutes of live sports viewership has declined at a yearly rate of 3-5% worldwide, despite supply and screens multiplying manifold. It appears people are consuming content on toothpicks, not in laden plates.

Understandably, there is mortal combat between sports for advertising revenues, fan attention and growth of followership. Sports earns at least $100 billion in content consumption worldwide. Historically it was linear TV that thrived on sports and vice versa. That effervescence of live sports is still much valued by fans. Sitting with friends in front of a large screen is the next best to screaming your lungs out with them at a stadium.

In America ESPN has more than 90% penetration into more than 50% of households who are regular consumers of sports content. Netflix has eroded pay-tv viewership in General Entertainment Content (GEC) but not live sporting broadcasts. The 80/20 law applies with its full force here. The National Football League in America will be instrumental in charting the future of entertainment on the internet. The future of Television corporations may be largely determined from where Americans will watch football games in the coming years. Only by retaining football viewers can television companies thrive in the digital age by preventing TV viewership from shrinking too quickly and supporting their future in streaming.

The entertainment companies that have must-watch programming will be the ones that make the transition to streaming. Till now, the internet hasn’t transformed the way sports is broadcast. But innovations have become noted. The NBA enriches it via pop up statistics in games and gives viewers choices in camera angles.

In general entertainment, there are two basic paths for online video, namely with stuff that regular people make — on TikTok, Facebook and YouTube. Or like Netflix and the streaming video services from the big television entertainment companies with high cost, old-style programming. That is not possible in sports where access is based on winning rights. After that content can be screen agnostic.

Everyone can learn from football

Football is the most successful sport in the world. Its revenues, following, and clout are unmatched. At $45 billion a year its revenues are roughly 2x that of American football, 5x of basketball and 20x of cricket. The last FIFA women’s World Cup for women was watched by over a billion viewers. FIFA rules across the globe and the coherence and strategic clarity comes through at the ground level. Everyone can learn from football.

To be successful a sport must bear meaning. When I took Kabaddi to Indian TV, the intention was to make it synonymous with Indian pride for young Indians. Every aspect from the branding, visual presentation, language, rituals, connection and celebrity linkage was thought out with this in mind. It worked. I was putting 200 years of colonial legacy upside down. Until then, sports had meant western imports. After that Kabaddi stood for ‘Desi Cool’. Sports must adapt to modern viewing habits, not the other way around. Kabaddi arrived on the social scene as something new and aspirational but rooted and ancient. Growing a sport needs an easy-to-understand language, clear relational context and iconic heroes who spring up from the soil. Growth then demands expansion into newer markets.

Proudly desi sport

Here, I must give Cricket its due. Despite its limited global footprint, it has emerged stronger via a power-packed TV reincarnation. T20 is just what the doctors ordered. IPL is its best version. At three hours of end-to-end run time compared with eight hours for OD cricket or up to five days for Test matches, T20 was bound to become the rage it did. Rugby sevens, in which matches consist of two halves lasting seven minutes, compared with the usual 40 minutes, featured in the 2016 Olympic games for the first time. Three-a-side basketball, in which games last ten minutes as opposed to 48 minutes for NBA matches, is featured at the Olympics. This 3x3 basketball is a variation of basketball played three-a-side, with one backboard and in a half-court setup.

Cricket is unshakeable in India. It is – for all intents and purposes – an Indian sport. Its reinvention has made it proudly Desi. The Indian Premier League is by far the fastest-growing major league of any sport in the world. The next rights cycle bid process is currently on and, I predict, we shall see a never heard before the eye-popping number.

Indian money runs world cricket but, amongst world sports, cricket is unusual in relying so heavily on one market for sustenance. Other sports have grown apace across countries. Basketball has 32 teams competing in the men’s World Cup. Rugby’s cup has 24 teams vying for it. Football is at the top with 48 teams in the FIFA World Cup for men. Rugby took its world cup to Japan. Basketball’s World Cup got slated for Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. The ICC ODI Cricket World Cup scarcely ever goes to expansion worthy geographies.

The success of Basketball in China is often attributed to one man. A tall man. Yao Ming became the first Chinese player to be the top pick in the NBA draft, two decades ago.

NBA’s physical expansion in China was fuelled by Yao’s popularity. There are now 600,000 basketball courts in China. The NBA has three academies in China, besides one each in Australia, Mexico, India, and Senegal.

Even the most conservative of sports bodies such as the venerable International Olympic Committee (IOC) is responding to change, even embracing it. Rock climbing, skateboarding, surfing and karate made a much-noticed debut at the last Tokyo summer Olympics. The IOC knows its commercial success depends on getting and keeping a younger crowd. Shooting, fencing, water polo or weightlifting may not be youth crowd pullers. Hence, the expansion is well aimed. The new sports alone created 54 medallists. In addition, baseball and softball made a comeback aimed at popularity in both the US and Japan.

The new sports are admitted in competitive formats that make them interest worthy, even riveting. For example, climbers do bouldering, lead climbing and speed climbing. The last has been an innovation to emphasise the edge and athleticism. It makes for gripping, suspenseful screen content.

Even outside medal events or formal sports, there is evolution. Take base jumping — the sport in which you leap from a fixed object, like a bridge or a cliff all the while piloting yourself at speeds of 100 m.p.h. or more before pulling a parachute. Fightball is a combative take on one-on-one street basketball. It repurposes it with more physicality for the unregulated intensity for the Instagram era.

Not all innovations are adrenalin-charged or high contact. There is (Cup) Stacking which is evolving into a fast-growing sport and part of the physical education curriculum at thousands of American schools. More than two dozen nations will field teams at the world championships, and stacking is growing fastest in Asia. Think of it - why should stacking cups be any less important than putting a ball in a hole, through a hoop or into a net?

It is not unreasonable to apply a lifecycle framework to a sport. The world is moving away from a purely western sensibility to sports and cross-pollination is happening as much in sport as in fashion or cuisine with the caveat that, for sport, it takes more time to strike root and grow. I am not going to get into the magic and might of e-sports as it deserves a separate piece.

Look at it anyway, India will become the world’s leading market for sport in the next 2 decades by volumetric criteria. It will be a top 3 market by value.

Play on.

YOUTUBE