DNPA Conclave 2026: Ashwini Vaishnaw says social media platforms must fairly share revenue with content creaters | India News

New Delhi: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav Thursday said user consent should be mandatory for “all artificially generated” content and called on digital platforms to take proactive steps to prevent it. Cyber ​​fraud.Speaking at the third annual Storyboard18 Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave 2025 in New Delhi, Vaishnav said, “Platforms must take responsibility for what they are publishing. Gone are the days when a platform can say they are responsible for the content. Gone are the days as the platforms themselves have changed from being pure content to becoming the world’s harmful platform. Hosted by them.““Social media platforms must share revenue in a fair way with content creators…including creators, influencers, professors sitting in remote areas…must share revenue fairly with people creating content,” Vaishnav said.“All artificially generated content must have user consent… Platforms must take proactive steps against cyber fraud,” he added.Emphasizing the importance of trust in democratic systems, Vaishnav said, “Human society is built on trust and institutions. When humans created social structures. They created many institutions, starting from the family, a social identity, judiciary, media, legislature and a democratic way of coming together and making decisions.”“All these institutions were built on a fundamental foundation. The foundation of trust,” he noted.“And that basically means the different arms of society, the different institutions within society and the people interacting with those institutions. They believe that institutions operate on certain principles that are based on trust,” he said.“Mutual trust defines the whole core of the institution,” the Union minister added.Warning that this foundation is under pressure, Vaishnav said, “The way the world is evolving today, the basic principles of faith are under threat. That threat is coming from different angles, deepfakes that make you believe in things that never happened.”“The misleading barrage that can create a sense of disbelief, which is not there in real life. Creating artificially created photos and videos that have absolutely nothing to do with reality. And when all that content reaches the common citizen. They start questioning the very fabric of society. And this is a big threat that every country, including India, is now grappling with these issues.”Earlier, DNPA Chairperson and CEO of Manorama Online Maryam Mamen Mathew inaugurated the conclave, saying artificial intelligence and rapid changes in the digital ecosystem are fundamentally reshaping how news is produced, distributed, discovered and monetized.Speaking on the theme, he said, “The transformation of media in the age of artificial intelligence is at a critical juncture, as AI, the development of data governance rules, the changing platform economy and changing audience behavior are redefining digital journalism.”DNPA Conclave 2026 brings together policymakers, media leaders and industry experts to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of news, governance and digital innovation. As a key industry platform, the conclave features curated panel discussions and expert-led sessions examining emerging trends, addressing shared challenges and outlining a visionary roadmap for India’s digital media ecosystem.Discussions focused on the evolving regulatory environment governing digital communications and how policy frameworks can balance innovation with consumer protection and industry growth in an AI-driven era. Sessions also explored how artificial intelligence is transforming newsroom workflows, content creation, distribution strategies and audience engagement across platforms.The conclave also examines where audiences turn for credible information, how trust can be created and sustained, and what constitutes the new public square in a fragmented, platform-led media landscape. The impact of regulatory changes on various stakeholders was also discussed, including who would benefit, who would bear the costs and how the ecosystem could be competitive and inclusive.