Since the dawn of the digital age, society has given people access to media and information, both for knowledge and power. Technological advancement in the 21st century has propelled and defined the development of social media ecosystems. Social media has immensely impacted society; after all, its premise is to connect people, create communities, and share knowledge. By shifting human interaction to a digital environment, everything ranging from information to news and opinions has revolutionised the world, offering viewers access to diverse and on-demand content. Social media platforms have expanded over the last decade. This varies across the globe since social media is used and viewed differently around the world. However, it has also brought various controversies, such as censorship and the portrayal of sensitive topics.
1. Laws on information have existed throughout human history, with different cultures taking different approaches towards restrictions on speech and news. Societies usually apply regulations to protect citizens from unwanted content that might be considered offensive or harmful to society. It can take many forms, from simple regulations and restrictions on media coverage to outright bans on certain types of material. It is crucial to strike a balance between artistic freedom and the need to safeguard viewers. In modern times, censorship takes different forms due to technological advancement. Sophisticated systems such as surveillance, data mining to monitor and limit what people say online, blocking websites and social media platforms, restricting access to specific topics or materials in the media and libraries, and cutting or changing the content to ensure that it meets certain standards. However, this type of restriction has been widely criticised for its potential impact on free speech rights around the world.
2. Should there be restrictions or sponsorships on OTT and social media? As we navigate through the vast sea of information available to us in today’s digital age, it can be easy to question the need for regulations. Restriction, censorship, and regulation are important concepts in modern society because they help ensure that the public is exposed to appropriate content for their age group and intellectual maturity. It can also serve as a protective barrier against potentially harmful or inappropriate material that could harm individuals or society as a whole. On a deeper level, restrictions can also help prevent hate speech and misinformation that could lead to dangerous consequences if allowed to spread unchecked. All in all, restriction plays an essential role in keeping society safe and fostering an atmosphere of respect and understanding between different people and cultures. We need to know why rules are important and the role they play in protecting our society. Regulation plays a crucial role in maintaining a safe and stable society. Some of the benefits that can be obtained through controls are as follows:
a. protects children from inappropriate content.
b. promotes social synchronisation.
c. Prevent threats, crimes, frauds, etc.
d. protecting against false advertising.
e.Prevents the Dissemination of Harmful Medical advice.
f. Ensure that all health and medical-related information meets their accuracy standards.
g. Help to Preserve cultural and social values and traditions.
h. prevents the spread of False Information.
i.Protects Against Hate Speech and Discrimination j. Protects Against Cyberbullying and Cyberstalking
3.are shaped. In western society, social media has become a part of almost every aspect of a person’s life. In a nutshell, they use it for just about everything: to connect with family, to read the news, to find directions and the list goes on. However, social media is probably the most popular and powerful medium, especially in the West. Social media platforms have uniquely contributed to social, cultural, and political norms; in some countries, it are used to push political agendas. There’s no question that United States politics have been woven into social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Eastern countries appear more deliberate in their usage, especially Russia and China, which use social media to exert power over the population’s perception. The governments of China and Russia have implemented increasingly severe measures.
4. Social Media Future: social media has exploded in the past decade, and many believe that the initial intent of social media has drifted away. The relationship between social media and censorship is evolving as social media continues to be adopted in multiple avenues, Now there’s an app for everything. People are getting sick of social media and platforms. In a sense, this becomes information overload; too many apps and social media tools could have the opposite effect on users. People are supposed to share and connect, but it’s becoming more difficult with high volumes of disinformation, political agendas, and censorship becoming more prevalent. No one knows for certain what the future of social media will be, but based on the current ecosystem, it seems like a lofty goal would be to get back to the original premise of social media, i.e., connecting.
5.Some Views and Arguments on Control of social media and other Platforms: The social media and OTT platforms have to be subject to some form of regulation. There are different opinions on whether this regulation should be light-handed or heavy-handed, but some regulations will eventually be implemented. The authorities and social media activist have different views on regulation.
a. The content provided by online streaming services is not broadcast to the world; rather, it is pulled from the internet and is meant to be viewed privately. People have the option to watch what they like.
Similar to cinema and TV, censorship laws should be applied to social media. In movies and television, the audience is not in control of the content that is being offered to them. Though for cinema they have the option to choose between different movies released at the same time, for television they have the option of skipping through channels; they don’t, however, have the option to choose what is finally shown on the screen.
c. With online content, the audience is in greater control of what they choose to finally see from among the many options available. The former involves the content being “pushed” to consumers, while consumers “pull” their desired content into the latter. The audience has a better say in the latter; a regulatory approach followed for push-based consumption may not necessarily do justice to the mechanics of how online content is offered.
d. Online entertainment is not to be subjected to the same conditions and rules as television broadcasts.
6. Possible Solutions: Tough decision, On the one hand, these platforms contain a great deal of content that benefits society. But on the other hand, there is also a significant amount of harmful or illegal content.
One method could be to follow the food industry model: content should have full disclosures about its contents and allow the consumer to decide if they want to purchase or watch it.
b. A regulatory body that standardises, makes rules, etc., and uses technology to audit for compliance.
c. artificial intelligence and machine learning tools for automatically classifying the content and generating full disclosures about the content about to be consumed.
d. Carefully study the exact need for the laws; the objective is to protect its audience, bridge any regulatory gaps, and create a regulatory regime for online players the same way it has for offline players.
7. Conclusion: The next decade in streaming will be very challenging. Winners will not only be decided by who has the best content but also by who has the most advanced technology to make the service more intelligent and super easy to use. It is clear that there are pros and cons to regulating social media and OTT platforms. What is not so clear is how best to move forward. Some argue that the government should stay out of it, while others believe stricter regulations are needed. As with most things in life, the answer likely lies somewhere in the middle. It is important for policymakers and citizens alike to be aware of these issues and have an open dialogue about them. Only then can we make informed decisions about the future of our digital world. It is essential to ensure that the content offered meets the necessary legal and ethical standards.
