Newly Formed India Influencer Governing Council Floats Code Of Conduct

A couple of months after reports surfaced that the government was looking to introduce a code of conduct for social media influencers, industry stakeholders have banded together to float a self-regulatory organisation (SRO). 

Called the India Influencer Governing Council (IIGC), the SRO comprises members from influencer marketing agencies, creators, digital intermediaries like Google, Meta and JioHotstar, and major advertisers. 

The council also released a 89 page-long “code of standards” for influencers to ensure their content is “legal, honest, transparent, and respectful of societal values”. As per the document, the framework will also aim to protect consumer interests, uphold responsible content creation, promote fairness in influencer marketing while preventing misleading or harmful messaging.

The guidelines are not legally binding on the members of the body. 

The IIGC’s code of conduct spans 20 sections, encompassing some key challenges faced by India’s influencer ecosystem, including measurement metrics, AI influencers, payment compliances, authenticity of the products being promoted, sexual content and nudity, alcohol and gambling restrictions, data privacy, customer redressal, among others. 

The IIGC reportedly hosted a meet-up in Mumbai to discuss the issues plaguing the creator economy. As per Economic Times, the event saw the council unveil a first-of-its-kind Indian Influencer Ratings, a weekly list to spotlight the “most impactful influencers and brand campaigns” across India.

IIGC founding member and MD of Publicis Content Hari Krishnan reportedly said that the Council has been created to tackle core challenges in the influencer space, including lack of standardisation, control for brands, and inexperience among creators. 

“We are building a decentralised self-regulatory body with representation from across the ecosystem. The code is designed to incentivise  responsible creators while discouraging unethical practices,” added Krishnan.

As per the report, SRO plans to soon extend similar guidelines to brands, platforms, agencies, and even consumers.

The development comes close on the heels of controversial comments made by podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia. Following this, reports surfaced that the Centre was looking to introduce a framework to oversee social media influencers with over 50 Lakh followers. 

To be issued by the information and broadcasting ministry, the proposed guidelines will aim to curb the spread of obscene and vulgar content. The new rules may require online celebrities to assign ratings to their content and include disclaimers where necessary.