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The Uttar Pradesh government was the first to introduce a Social Media Policy, and now the Karnataka government has rolled out the Karnataka Digital Advertising Guidelines 2024, both of which benefit social media influencers. As a result, multiple influencer marketing agencies and content creators are now demanding similar pay models in every state including Maharashtra.

According to an announcement by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) of the Karnataka government, the state will engage social media influencers and digital media entities to reach a broader audience, particularly the internet-savvy public. Influencers will take on various roles, including brand ambassadorships, sponsored posts, guest contributions, content collaborations, themed and hashtag campaigns, shoutouts, reviews, and event promotions.

Social media influencer Dhruv Shah of Funcho commented, “I believe social media platforms are crucial for raising awareness, and advertisements play a key role. The UP government is doing a great job by creating such schemes for influencers, it should be implemented by other states as well. Different state governments use various mediums for advertisements, and the goal of enhancing their reach via digital platforms through creators is beneficial and harmless.”

Rohit Agarwal, Founder and Director of Alpha Zegus, said, “While this scheme is a great additional revenue source for content creators and provides direct affiliation with the government, it also comes with the potential cost of freedom of speech. Creators' content will be closely monitored to ensure it aligns with the philosophy of the political party paying them, and this monitoring could impose restrictions ranging from reasonable to extreme.”
He added, “It will be up to the creators to decide whether to accept or reject these restrictions and to understand their long-term implications.”

Agarwal also noted, “I believe every state should implement a similar scheme, but it’s important to allow creators the freedom to understand the political landscape and express their views to their audience accordingly. Regional content creators have significant influence within their demographic, and their audiences take their words seriously. This makes it even more critical for them to thoroughly understand the political landscape, conduct their own background checks, and be mindful of the implications of their messaging before making a decision. If implemented correctly, there’s no harm in rolling this out across states.”

Shudeep Majumdar, Co-founder and CEO of Zefmo Media said, “Through such policies, the state governments are enhancing public communication which will lead to increase in participation for public schemes, it will increase reach of lawful communication its compliance. Interestingly, this will also increase tourism and investment for the state.” 

Majumdar said, “The trusted social media influencers can help state governments to take their messaging internationally through their educational campaigns for health, education and social welfare. Both the UP government and Karnataka government are trying to rope in influencers, it is a form of institutionalizing influencer partnerships.” 

He further said, “As long as the government is not doing anything which is unethical, or they are not forcing the influencers to tread their line, I don't see a challenge whatsoever for other states to follow such policies.” 

A regional creator from Maharashtra, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “I believe Maharashtra should also implement such a policy. This would benefit the influencer ecosystem and help the government spread awareness about their welfare schemes to our subscribers and followers. Regional creators stand to benefit the most from such policies.”

According to UP government’s Social Media Policy, 2024, the government has appointed a digital agency, 'V-Form,' to handle advertisements. 'V-Form' will be responsible for showcasing videos, tweets, posts, and reels.

The policy also sets payment limits for influencers, account holders, and operators on social media platforms. The maximum monthly payment limits are set at Rs 5 lakh for X (formerly Twitter), Rs 4 lakh for Facebook, and Rs 3 lakh for Instagram. For YouTube, the payment limits are Rs 8 lakh for videos, Rs 7 lakh for shorts, Rs 6 lakh for podcasts, and Rs 4 lakh for other content.

Implement UP like Social Media Policy in Maharashtra, other states: Influencers

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved the new social media policy, aimed at regulating content across platforms including Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube. The policy introduces guidelines for addressing objectionable social media content and mandates legal action.

Yogi Adityanath's cabinet approved the Uttar Pradesh Digital Media Policy, 2024, prepared by the state's information department, on Tuesday. Under the new policy, posting anti-national content will attract stringent consequences, with penalties ranging from three years of imprisonment to a life term. Previously, such actions were addressed under Sections 66E and 66F of the Information Technology (IT) Act, which deal with privacy violations and cyberterrorism, respectively.

Additionally, disseminating obscene or defamatory material online can result in criminal defamation charges, further underscoring the legal ramifications of misusing digital platforms, according to the official statement.
According to the policy, the government has listed a digital agency, 'V-Form,' to handle advertisements. The agency 'V-Form' will be responsible for showcasing videos, tweets, posts, and reels.

The policy has also specified payment limits for influencers, account holders, and operators on social media platforms. For X, Facebook, and Instagram, the maximum monthly payment limits are set at Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh, and Rs 3 lakh, respectively. On YouTube, the payment limits for videos, shorts, and podcasts are Rs 8 lakh, Rs 7 lakh, Rs 6 lakh, and Rs 4 lakh, respectively.


UP govt gives nod to Social Media Policy, life imprisonment for anti-national posts

Mobile gaming in India is on the rise. However, surprisingly, PC game titles like Fortnite and Valorant are the most talked-about games on social media platforms, with Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) ranking third in gaming-related conversations.

Sprinklr Insights which uses AI to gather and analyze social conversations across various news outlets and social media platforms states that the social media platform X has emerged as the most popular platform for gaming discussions, with approximately 2.52 million gaming-related conversations on social media since January 2021.

India's video games market generated revenue of $830 million in 2023, up 15.9 percent year-over-year (YoY), slightly down from the 19 percent growth seen in 2022, according to Niko Partners. The market is expected to grow by 13.6 percent in 2024, with revenue projected to reach $943 million, surpassing $1 billion in 2025, and forecasted to hit $1.4 billion in 2028, with a five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.1 percent.

As per the report, mobile games will continue to dominate the Indian gaming market, accounting for 77.9 percent of total revenue, followed by PC games at 14.5 percent and console games at 7.7 percent.

Sprinklr Insights also reported that there were 2.52 million conversations on X about #gaming since January 2021 which reached a phenomenal 143.57 billion impressions. However, social media chatter around gaming has experienced interesting fluctuations over the years. 

In 2021, gaming conversations peaked with 1.8 million engagements stemming from 136.85K discussions on social media, likely due to the increased popularity of mobile gaming and social restrictions during the pandemic. 

In 2022, there was a noticeable dip, with 106.8K users participating in 1.32 million conversations, possibly due to market saturation, consumer fatigue, or a return to pre-pandemic routines. Interestingly, 2023 saw a rebound in gaming chatter, with 130.7K conversations and 1.56 million engagements, possibly due to new game releases or a resurgence in interest.

So far, 2024 has shown a steady continuation of this upward trend, with even more engagement around the gaming hashtag, totaling 1.64 million. This suggests ongoing interest in gaming and a stable presence in social media conversations.

According to Sprinklr Insights, PC game titles, particularly Fortnite and Valorant, continue to dominate online gaming chatter, with Valorant's tactical shooter gameplay garnering significant attention in second place. Meanwhile, the mobile game BGMI, with its localized content and familiar gameplay, holds the third spot in online gaming discussions.

In terms of social media chatter about top gaming streamers in India, Tanmay Singh, also known as 'sc0utOP' is topping the charts in social media mentions, closely followed by Ankit ‘v3nom’ Panth.


Valorant and Fortnite lead India's online gaming chatter, BGMI follows close behind

With the influx of affordable smartphones and cheap data plans, the addiction to social media among Indians has continued to escalate every passing year. As per a study, an average Indian spends roughly three hours daily on social media. Consequently, companies, irrespective of their size, have begun leveraging social media to engage with their consumers for brand recognition, increased sales, customer engagement, etc. 

According to specialist staffing company Xpheno, the current count of active talent in social media-specific roles is more than 240,000, and this pool has annually grown by 8% - 12% over the last five years. However, with subdued hiring activity in this space, the job openings are only 4,000, the Bengaluru-based company told Storyboard18.

'Types of social media jobs'

A slew of job roles have opened up across industries in the social media space. Varun Satia, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Kraftshala said that roles like social media creators, content strategists, content creators, copywriters, editors, scriptwriters, community managers, and influencer marketing executives are some of the roles which have been growing in recent times.


<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/entertainment-industry-witnesses-spike-in-jobs-as-otts-originals-boom-38341.htm">Entertainment industry witnesses spike in jobs as OTTs’ ‘Originals’ boom</a>


"Since companies have become more mindful of their brand perception, they are allocating their social media budgets to influence customers' decisions", Shantanu Rooj, founder and CEO at Teamlease Edtech added, "Consequently, social media has opened up numerous career opportunities, such as SEO specialists, data analysts, creative director, UX designers, etc".

According to Xpheno, the top industry with respect to social media job roles is- Advertising Services (45,000 professionals), followed by IT Services and IT Consulting (32,000), Software Development (15,000), Marketing Services and Media (13,000).

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/ott-industry-may-add-2-80-lakh-jobs-in-next-4-years-as-demand-for-vfx-animation-surges-report-37770.htm">OTT industry may add 2.80 lakh jobs in next 4 years as demand for VFX, animation surges: Report</a>


'Social media jobs salary'

Shincy Morris, Business Head - Direct Hire at Xpheno said that Cost-to-company (CTC) varies depending upon the job role, company location, sector, and pedigree of talent. "A common compensation range would hence be incorrect to draw," Shincy said. 

As per the data by Sekhar Garisa, CEO of foundit, a fresher's salary in the social media space may range from Rs 2 lakh-Rs 4 lakh in startups; between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh in IT and media industry; and between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 6 lakh in the FMCG sector. At the mid-level, the salary packages may also vary in different sectors, such as Rs 5 lakh- Rs 8 lakh in startups; Rs 6 lakh- above Rs 10 lakh in the IT industry; Rs 8 lakh- Rs 12 lakh in the FMCG sector, and Rs 7 lakh- above Rs 14 lakh in the Media & Entertainment industry. For senior-level posts in social media job profiles, annual salary packages in startups could vary between Rs 9.53 lakh - Rs 15.86 lakh; in the IT industry Rs 13 lakh - Rs 24.8 lakh; in the FMCG sector Rs 15.88 lakh - Rs 25 lakh, and Rs 16.9 lakh - above Rs 30 lakh in the Media & Ent industry, respectively. Notably, some organizations, that pay outside these ranges, do exist and the above figures cannot be solely used as a benchmarking.

According to Teamlease Edtech founder Rooj, the salary of a 'Digital Marketing Professional' may vary from Rs 3.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh at entry level, and at senior level, it could be between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 15 lakh annually. An SEO specialist may earn an annual remuneration between Rs 3-4 lakh at the entry-level and between Rs 10 and Rs 12 lakh at the senior post. For the Content Manager's job profile, the fresher's annual salary could be between Rs 3- Rs 5 lakh; Rs 5-Rs 8 lakh at the mid-level post, and Rs 9 lakh to Rs 10.5 lakh at the senior level, respectively.

'Social media job skills'

A career in social media demands a diverse skill set that blends creativity, analytical thinking, and technical expertise. "For content creators, user-centricity, ability to identify interesting ideas, curiosity to dig deep and write interesting scripts, the skill to visualize how the content will eventually look, and finally understanding of video editing, music, and aesthetics become important. For social media managers, project management, working with stakeholders, data analytics, and strategic planning are critical," Satia from Kraftshala said. Additionally, understanding SEO is critical to ensuring content reaches a wider audience, increasing visibility, and driving organic traffic by improving search rankings, founfit.com Garisa said. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/as-media-jobs-dwindle-and-pay-checks-shrink-students-may-have-to-enhance-skills-37076.htm">As media jobs dwindle and pay checks shrink, students may have to enhance skills</a>

'AI impact on social media jobs'

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing social media job roles. A lot of routine tasks have become automated in this space. Xpheno's Shincy said that AI may play a significant role in jobs with 'low cognitive load activities' such as monitoring channels, collating data, measuring reach, etc. However, the AI-driven tools will facilitate the smooth analysis of real-time data, crafting personalized data, extracting insights and trends, and responding to customer queries, among others. 


"The impact of GenAI is increasing in the creative roles space but the demand and value for native human intelligence will remain high and will at best become AI-assisted for speed and scale," Shincy added.

Rooj emphasized that social media job roles are not just about tasks but require an understanding of psychology to interpret AI-generated insights, target ad strategies, and enhance customer experience. "The key is to leverage AI tools to help social media marketers increase productivity and performance across social media platforms".

Subhashree Dutta, Managing Partner, The/Nudge Institute called AI just a 'tool' that cannot become replacement for human judgment as relying solely on it can lead to homogenization of the content. "It can enhance content, but human touch is essential for unique brand voices", Dutta added.

Social media jobs on the rise: 240,000 active talent and growing

On August 5, 2024, the European Commission made TikTok's commitments to permanently withdraw TikTok Lite Rewards programme from the EU binding. These commitments have been submitted by TikTok to address the concerns raised by the Commission in the formal proceedings opened against TikTok on 22 April and ensure compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The platform has made the following commitments:

A commitment to withdraw the TikTok Lite Rewards programme from the EU, permanently;
A commitment not to launch any other programme which would circumvent the withdrawal.

The decision makes these commitments legally binding, meaning that any breach of the commitments would immediately amount to a breach of the DSA and could therefore lead to fines. With this decision, the Commission is also closing the formal proceedings opened against TikTok on 22 April.

This is the first case the EU regulators close under the DSA, 105 days after the opening of the proceedings. This is also the first time that the EU accepts commitments from a designated online platform against which it had opened formal proceedings under the DSA.

Next Steps

The Commission will carefully monitor TikTok's compliance with the binding commitments the platform has offered under article 71 of the DSA, as well as with its other obligations under the DSA.

The Commission's first formal proceedings against TikTok, which were launched on 19 February, remain open and the investigation continues.

Background

TikTok Lite is a new separate version of the TikTok app. Following its launch in Spain and France in April 2024, the Commission expressed concerns regarding the TikTok Lite Rewards programme, which allowed users to earn points while performing certain ‘Tasks' on TikTok Lite, such as watching videos, liking content, following creators, inviting friends to join TikTok, etc.

The EU was concerned that the TikTok Lite Rewards programme had been launched without a prior diligent assessment of the risks it entails, particularly in relation to the addictive effect of the Rewards programme, and without taking effective risk mitigating measures. The Rewards programme, which may stimulate addictive behaviour, could potentially have negative effects on the physical and mental health of users, the commission said. This is of particular concern for minors, who may have a heightened sensitivity to such features, it added. 

Under the DSA, Very Large Online Platforms are required to perform a risk assessment and submit a report to the Commission's services prior to launching any new functionalities that are likely to have a critical impact on systemic risks. They also have to adopt effective mitigating measures to address identified risks.

As TikTok failed to provide a risk assessment report in relation to the launch of TikTok Lite, the Commission adopted a decision on 22 April to initiate formal proceedings against TikTok and warned TikTok of its intention to suspend the TikTok Lite Rewards programme in the EU. On 24 April, the Commission took note of TikTok's decision to voluntary suspend the TikTok Lite Rewards programme in the European Union.

Currently there are formal proceedings open under the DSA against X (from December 2023, for which preliminary findings were issued on 12 July 2024), TikTok (February 2024), AliExpress (March 2024), and Meta (April and May 2024).

TikTok commits to permanently withdraw TikTok Lite Rewards programme from the EU

Tech giants Google and Meta are in the center of an alleged covert advertising operation. The Financial Times reported that Meta and Google struck a secret deal to target ads for Instagram to teenagers on YouTube. The report stated that the deal circumvented Google's own rules that prohibit personalising and targeting ads to minors. 

The alleged deal also violated the policies against the circumvention of guidelines, or “proxy targeting”. 

Referring to documents reviewed by the publication and people familiar with the matter, FT stated that Google worked on "a marketing project for Meta that was designed to target 13- to 17-year-old YouTube users" with ads promoting Instagram.

The campaign targeted a user group labelled as “unknown” in its ad system, "which Google knew skewed towards under-18s, these people said. Meanwhile, documents seen by the FT suggest steps were taken to ensure the true intent of the campaign was disguised," the report added. 

The tech giants first tested the campaign in Canada this year and then took it to the US, with plans to launch the campaign in other international markets, the report added, pointing to the same sources of information.  

Meta and Google worked with Spark Foundry, a Publicis Groupe-owned firm, to launch the pilot marketing programme, according to the people and documents seen by the FT.


Meta and Google bend ad rules; worked with Publicis-owned Spark Foundry in 'secret ad deal' to target minors

YouTube Shorts has achieved a milestone of trillions of views in under four years, shared YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan, at YouTube’s flagship Brandcast event in New Delhi. Mohan highlighted that creators in India are doing more than just sharing stories - "they’re exporting Indian culture to the world. More than 11 thousand Indian channels have over a million subscribers. That’s a 50% increase year over year!" 

"Indian creators are making videos inspired by local trends that go on to define global culture. YouTube is number one in reach and watchtime in India. And we just passed a huge milestone," said Mohan. 

YouTube is the most streamed service on Connected TVs in India with viewership growing 4x in the last 3 years, the Google-owned platform claimed.

"This phenomenal growth is just one reason I’m excited about what’s coming next at YouTube," Mohan said, adding, "Everything from creation to fandom is about to get even bigger." 
 
"In the past year you've heard a lot about generative AI. At first, it was mostly just a concept. And today, I’m here to tell you the future has arrived. We’ve launched AI tools that empower human creativity," said Mohan, highlighting the roll out of Dream Screen in India in July. Dream Screen lets users create AI-generated backgrounds for Shorts just by typing an idea. 

"This is just the beginning," said Mohan, hinting at more. "We’ll continue to develop AI technology that builds on our track record of responsibility and pushes the boundaries of creative expression at a scale we can only dream about right now." 

Mohan added, "My childhood showed me that no matter where you live, no matter what country you call home… everyone has a story. YouTube gives creators a home to share their stories with the world. And they’re creating connections with fans that span continents and cross oceans." 

Content Moderation 

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Mohan also addressed content moderation on YouTube. He said, YouTube as a platform, has always been a pioneer in moderating its content and maintaining hygiene as far as authenticity is concerned. 

YouTube said that it had taken down over 9 million videos in the December 2023 quarter, of which over 8 million were in violation.

"We're an open platform, a platform where there are all kinds of opinions, all types of speech on our platform. That doesn't mean anything goes. We've always had community guidelines, and it's our job, our responsibility at YouTube, to make sure that our community guidelines stay up to date," Mohan said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/digital/youtube-introduces-new-ad-formats-for-shorts-and-connected-tv-39045.htm">Read more: YouTube introduces new ad formats for Shorts and Connected TV</a>

YouTube will continue to develop AI technology for creative expression: Neal Mohan, YouTube CEO

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was instructed by its Oversight Board to erase AI-generated pornographic photographs of public individuals. The ruling was made after the board received two cases featuring photos of women, one Indian and one American, according to reports.

The Board determined that Meta's current policies on such content were imprecise and ineffectual. Specifically, the guideline on "derogatory sexualized photoshop" was found imprecise and insufficient to meet the growing problem of AI-generated deepfakes, as per reports.

To improve its approach, the Board suggested that Meta reclassify this type of content under the Adult Sexual Exploitation policy and rename it "Non-Consensual Sexual Content." Furthermore, the Board proposed replacing the phrases "derogatory" and "photoshop" with more precise and inclusive wording that reflects the expanding ways of picture modification. the reports clarified.

The Oversight Board voiced concern regarding Meta's treatment of user reports. Complaints that were immediately closed without sufficient evaluation were noted as examples of the platform's flaws. Given the serious harm caused to victims of deepfake intimate photographs, the Board stressed the critical necessity for prompt action in such circumstances.

The ruling emphasizes the difficulty that social media sites confront in coping with the rapid improvements in AI technology. As deepfake development becomes more accessible, platforms must adjust their policies and enforcement methods to safeguard consumers from the terrible effects of such bad content. The Oversight Board's decision is a key step toward holding digital companies accountable for their part in stopping the spread of nonconsensual sexual content.

Meta ordered to delete AI-generated photographs of public individuals

"Don't miss out! You have only 5 minutes left to enroll at the current price. The course price will rise to Rs 50,000 after that, so act now!". 

Have you also come across such advertisements? Are you someone who acted promptly and purchased the course?

The internet is inundated with innumerable below-average courses on the stock market and investments that target gullible investors by charging exorbitant fees. 

Last month, the market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) cracked down on unregulated financial influencers who might be giving misleading investment advice. However, Sebi allowed people to educate others about investing, as long as they're not giving specific advice or promising guaranteed returns.

Storyboard18 checked the background of some of the finfluencers (someone who shares money management advice on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and others) who are not Sebi-registered but are selling "certified paid courses" on trading. Most of them have changed their intro to 'educationist', and 'digital creator ' and have disabled the comment section.


Pratyush Kumar, whose Instagram handle name is Stock Burner, has put a disclaimer in posts that read, "All information on this page is for educational purposes only. We are not Sebi registered. We only try to provide important information. We do not want to invest/trade based on our posts. You must consult your financial advisor. We will not be responsible for any of your profit/loss". Several other similar accounts have started adding disclaimers. 

Kavitha Menon, a Sebi-registered investment advisor, appreciated the market regulator's decision but said protecting the retail investors is a long way off.

Menon said,"They have only made one important change and left the other one open. Education is a subjective and open-ended term leaving to being manipulated at a whim. I have always maintained that any educator must be qualified by education and experience. We don't hire teachers in our schools without basic training and qualifications, so why allow anybody and everybody to run courses on investing".

Do online courses add value?

Storyboard18 spoke to some of the retail investors who purchased courses from financial influencers such as Akshat Srivastava (2.13 million YouTube followers), CA Rachana Phadke Ranade (4.97 YouTube followers), and Sharan Hedge (3.1 million YouTube followers). The responses were subjective- both critical and laudative. 

An individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, purchased a personal finance course by The 1% Club, co-founded by Sharan Hegde. The individual said, "I paid between Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 fee, and the course offered guest lectures of certified people. It was a good beginner course perhaps I had higher expectations".

Digital marketer Harshit Agarwal enrolled in one of the courses by YouTuber Akshat Shrivastava in June 2022. Agarwal said, "Before joining Akshat Shrivastava's course, I was randomly investing in stocks and mutual funds. I did not know how to build a portfolio. However, after I purchased Srivastava's course, I learned about investing in stocks that otherwise I would never have done on my own. I also learned about investing in different sectors, as well as, on international stocks such as Alphabet, Apple Inc, Meta, etc". Agarwal said he purchased the course for Rs 23,000 and had one year of access to it. He claimed that he booked 135% of profit in around 18 months by investing in Meta and 117% of profits in nine months by investing in HDFC MC.

Notably, Srivastava is not a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). Last year, in a post on X, he mentioned that becoming an RIA was a "hyper complicated process and required massive compliances". 

Some of the individuals have taken the ed-tech platform routes to become financial coaches. A working professional showed Storyboard18 how to become a trainer on the American learning platform Udemy. Shockingly, the platform never checks the educational records of the educators.

An official from Udemy responded to Storyboard18's query on signing into the platform as a coach. Scott Rogers, Senior Vice President, Instructor & Content Strategy at Udemy said, "Although signing up is designed to be simple and accessible because we want to encourage knowledge sharing, only the most insightful and well-prepared content stands out".

In case of inappropriate content, Rogers added, "If an instructor violates any of Udemy’s policies, their account will receive strikes and immediate action will be taken. These actions can range from mild measures, such as warning emails, to severe consequences, such as blocking or removing their course or account".


Problem for regulated educators


Raghav Gupta, co-founder at The 1% Club told Storyboard18 that they onboard experts after doing a background check, like inspection of content, taking reviews of former students, and conducting multiple rounds of interviews. Gupta acknowledged the need to regulate the online courses on trading and investment. However, the issue arises when an uncertified individual creates a substandard course on investment and absolves himself of any responsibility in case of financial loss to his student, he added.

SEBI Registered Research Analyst Sumit Shrma said, "There should be some eligibility requirement for selecting a teacher to teach a particular subject. Online platforms should disclose the qualification of the educator and potential conflict of interest".

Nevertheless, Shrma added the rising interest in the stock market and the mass followership of influencers are likely to overshadow regulated entities. He said, "The market share of finfluencers selling courses will eventually increase and regulated courses will struggle to match numbers as they are bound by compliances".

However, Menon suggests, "SEBI in conjunction with National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM) should offer a mandatory training program for anybody who wants to run a course on investing," the investment advisor added that "Institutions who are into training should only hire such qualified professionals".

Shrma added, "The best solution to prevent people from financial course-related traps is to restrict and regulate the advertising and marketing of such courses. The crackdown is required on social media and internet platforms where these sorts of courses are being provided".

(Note: We have updated the story by adding a quote from Scott Rogers, Senior Vice President, Instructor & Content Strategy at Udemy)

SEBI cracks down on unregistered finfluencers, but loopholes remain

LinkedIn thrives on open dialogue, but accessibility can breed oversaturation. Not all voices on the professional networking platform hold equal weight – some offer valuable industry insights, while others may use the platform to promote personal beliefs disguised as professional pronouncements. How can one sort through this information chaos and identify the credible thought leaders?

To recognise experts, LinkedIn offers two "Top Voice" badges: Blue and Gold. The Blue Badge identifies pre-vetted, senior-level leaders across various industries. The Gold Badge recognises community members who consistently contribute valuable insights to collaborative articles on specific skills. Earning either badge requires consistent engagement and high-quality contributions, demonstrating expertise within a particular field.

LinkedIn told Storyboard18, "We determine the top 5 percent of contributors by looking at a variety of factors, including quality, engagement, and quantity of contributions. Quality contributions contain, but are not limited to, personal examples, unique perspectives, and professional opinions. You can earn badges for multiple skills. One badge will be shown on your profile; you may choose which badge is displayed if you have multiple. There is no limit to the number of skills for which you can earn a badge. Maintaining this badge depends on our members' willingness to continually share relevant and valuable insights."

However, not everyone agrees with LinkedIn's recipe for a Top Voice. LinkedIn's Top Voice selection has its critics. 

According to Rammohan Sundaram, President - Integrated Media at DDB Mudra Group, LinkedIn's game requires constant performance, not genuine expertise.

He recently relinquished his "Top Brand Management Voice" badge on LinkedIn after noticing multiple profiles adorned with similar badges. In a LinkedIn post, Sundaram shared how it dawned on him that the system gamified engagement by playing on people’s desire for validation. 

LinkedIn cleverly tapped into the human need, but it wasn't aligning with his goals. Three months passed with Sundaram silent on LinkedIn, and then, just like that, the badge was gone. This disappearance confirmed his suspicions: maintaining the badge seemed to require a specific posting frequency, even if the topics themselves didn't resonate with him.

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Then there is Shitiz Dogra, Associate Director, Digital Marketing at Indigo who highlights that a wave of plagiarism, dubbed "CVWS" (Ctrl V Without Shame) by some, is sweeping across LinkedIn. This practice involves copying and pasting content from other sources without attribution. While plagiarism isn't new online, the current trend appears to involve even established influencers with large followings (over 50,000). Many users are reporting instances of their content being repurposed without credit, with some experiencing this up to four times in the past month," he states in a LinkedIn post.

According to Dogra, attempts to confront these plagiarizers often go unanswered, highlighting a lack of accountability. Dogra points out that while engagement is important, it shouldn't come at the expense of ethical behaviour. Proper attribution should be given to the original content creators.

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LinkedIn clarified to Storyboard18, "Over the past 10 years, LinkedIn has become a living body of knowledge – where anyone can contribute and everyone can benefit. It’s a place where anyone can share expertise and build a meaningful community. When our members talk, trade ideas and share insights, more people around the world connect to opportunity." 

The platform added, "Members on the platform have the ability to earn one of two versions of Top Voices badges on their profile, either as part of the LinkedIn Top Voices (Blue Badge) or the Community Top Voice (Gold Badge) programmes. The Community Top Voices programme is separate from the invitation-only Top Voices programme, which has different criteria."

The blue LinkedIn Top Voice badge is 'invite-only’ featuring a global group of senior-level experts and leaders covering a range of topics across the professional world, helping members uncover valuable knowledge relevant to them. These individuals are not only trusted and active but also among the most impactful voices in their fields, regularly vetted to ensure they continue to meet the high standards that align with the interests of our members, states LinkedIn.

As per LinkedIn, "The gold Community Top Voice badge recognises noteworthy contributors who share their expertise and experience in a specific skill or skills through contributions to collaborative articles (for example, Top Sales Voice). You can earn a Community Top Voice badge when members find you to be one of the most noteworthy contributors to collaborative articles for a particular skill. To earn a badge, you’re typically in the top 5 percent of contributors and one of the first 2,500 badge holders for a particular skill."

SOCIAL MEDIA