The aftermath of Ranveer Allahbadia’s viral controversy: Will creators face a new era of regulation?

New Delhi: Popularly known as BeerBiceps, Ranveer Allahbadia’s distasteful comments on parents and sex at Samay Raina’s show India’s Got Latent have led to massive outrage across the country.

Along with public outrage and FIRs, Allahbadia lost more than 1.5 lakh followers across all platforms in the past few days (Qoruz data). Some brands with whom BuzzInContent.com spoke have become extra cautious of their associations with influencers after this incident. 

Even Raina, the host of the controversial show, also responded to the outcry by removing all "India's Got Latent" videos from his YouTube channel. 

This development has stirred up a debate around the regulation of online content. 

Demands for regulation of online content are being raised all across the country. To add, industry leaders and netizens also want influencers to become accountable for their actions.

On the internet, people are suggesting a licensing system similar to the UAE, where influencers are required to obtain a license from the National Media Council (NMC), ensuring transparency and accountability.

 According to Ashiish V Patil, Chief Storyteller, CEO & Co-founder at Isspeshal StratCon LLP, “You can’t just say, ‘Bro, mah lyf, mah content, mah rulz!’ and post whatever you want. Self-regulation is better than censorship because there will always be someone, somewhere who will get offended over something, at some time or another. Today, it’s a bad joke in very poor taste; tomorrow, someone will want to ban Tom & Jerry because 'Kitna violent hai!'

We live in a country where people got offended by Pathaan (not the surname, the movie) and Billu Barber (the surname in the movie!). So, what do we do? Keep some basic rules and leave the rest to the audience. Because free speech doesn’t mean a free-for-all. It will have its natural consequences.”

 Chhavi Mittal, co-founder of Superb Ideas Trending and a prominent content creator, emphasised the necessity for regulating online content. 

She asserted, “There is definitely a need for regulating online content because content creators have not been able to regulate it themselves. People come from different schools of thought and ‘Don’t watch it if you don’t like it,’ but it is easier said than done because if something goes viral, it will show up on my feed too.”

For the record, the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry, along with OTTs and social media platforms, already has a long set of pre-existing guidelines for content. 

Having said that, according to Kalyan Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Klug Tech, he feels that “the time for regulating online content is way past overdue.”

While many criticise Ranveer Allahbadia and other creators involved in the "India's Got Latent" controversy, Kumar emphasised the need to focus on broader online regulation issues, particularly concerning data and fact-checking. 

"This will be yesterday's news in a week," he argues, suggesting that the online community's outcry and subsequent apology from Allahbadia demonstrate a form of "natural regulation." 

However, he acknowledges the seriousness of the incident, stating that authorities should intervene when necessary.

Need for a self-regulatory body for influencers?

Have you heard of the phrase “With great power comes great responsibility”? This dialogue from Spiderman is equally true for influencers who wield the power to influence people, especially the young minds, and they have been spotted deviating from this commitment on multiple occasions.

One such example is when they resort to promoting offshore gambling platforms for some quick bucks.

Thus, the idea of a license for influencers comes in, which can be cancelled when they resort to shadow practices.

Weighing in on the idea of a licensing system, Patil said, “See, the problem with committees is that by the time they take a decision and make a rule, influencers would be ready to retire. A government body? Sounds like an Aadhar card renewal process. Most influencers are really young—kids. Most of them don’t mean harm; they just don’t know better. They need to be educated and given guidance rather than a thrashing.

Of course, there are scammers doling out dangerous health and investment tips, which could have a far worse impact than an offensive joke. A balanced body of creators, by creators, for creators, like ASCI for advertising, could help without killing creativity.”

While Patil feels that there is no need for a licensing body, Kumar (Klug Tech) feels it is “absolutely necessary.”

Explaining his stance, he said, “India needs an intelligent authority that truly understands the digital space without merely skimming at a 30,000-foot view. This authority should grasp the nuances of digital regulation, discerning what should lie within the rule of regulation and what should remain outside of it.

A lot should be done through proper regulation rather than ad hoc bodies with ad hoc ways of doing things, which may not be legally legitimate or necessary. Therefore, a great deal of thoughtful consideration is required to establish this.”

With great influence comes great responsibility for creators

Patil believes that creators should be free to create what they want, though not necessarily free from consequences. But those consequences should be natural. They should be educated, advised, and given guidance on what is possibly acceptable or not. 

He explained it with the example of parental controls available on digital platforms, which he said are hard to implement, especially for teenagers. “

The more you say, "Yeh mat karo," the more attractive it becomes. More than banning, we should equip kids with the wisdom to do the right thing instead of imposing it, just like alcohol and cigarettes.”

He concluded, “Last but not least, you often heard more beeps than dialogues on Roadies (a show I worked on). Today, the F-word has slipped into casual conversations, not just in locker rooms or among friends, but even around kids, family, and clients. Not in anger, but as a filler word. It's all over content—movies, series, sketches, advertising, music, and of course, stand-up comedy. By virtue of that, it's getting normalised. We all have to be conscious of it, as we are all guilty of it. The shift doesn't happen suddenly with one random India’s Got Latent (IGL) episode or one offensive joke; it happens slowly, right under our noses. One joke, one laugh, one video, one comment, one grain of sand at a time. We all have to learn to be a lot more mindful now—creators before posting, audiences before consuming, and conscience-keepers before outraging.”