It was perhaps Leo Tolstoy who wrote that only an arrogant person considers himself perfect. Conversely, those harbouring delusions of self-perfection might also be actively courting arrogance. The attack on cricketer Prithvi Shaw and a companion by a bunch of online ‘influencers’, who were reportedly so incensed when the sportsman refused repeated requests for selfies that they smashed his car and set upon him, illustrates how some social-media users assume their stomping ground lies beyond the reach of societal norms and Indian laws. Such influencers occupy the grey zone between legit and not-so-legit on social media; they monetize their vast army of followers by shilling for various brands, often without disclosing receipt of monetary compensation for it. Many individuals on social media with a large number of followers—often running into millions—now have formal structures for selling their audiences. Advertisers also find that conveying messages through influencers is cheaper than traditional media, even if rules and norms are thrown to the wind. From there to misleading advertisements or unfair trade practices is but a short step.
It was perhaps Leo Tolstoy who wrote that only an arrogant person considers himself perfect. Conversely, those harbouring delusions of self-perfection might also be actively courting arrogance. The attack on cricketer Prithvi Shaw and a companion by a bunch of online ‘influencers’, who were reportedly so incensed when the sportsman refused repeated requests for selfies that they smashed his car and set upon him, illustrates how some social-media users assume their stomping ground lies beyond the reach of societal norms and Indian laws. Such influencers occupy the grey zone between legit and not-so-legit on social media; they monetize their vast army of followers by shilling for various brands, often without disclosing receipt of monetary compensation for it. Many individuals on social media with a large number of followers—often running into millions—now have formal structures for selling their audiences. Advertisers also find that conveying messages through influencers is cheaper than traditional media, even if rules and norms are thrown to the wind. From there to misleading advertisements or unfair trade practices is but a short step.
An informal estimate by the government offers a measure of their success: India’s social media influencer market touched $157 million in 2022. This is expected to more than double in the next couple of years. Regulation, as always, initially trailed developments, but has finally caught up. The department of consumer affairs under the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution recently issued guidelines for celebrities and influencers endorsing third-party products and services. These focus on their need to make adequate and visible disclosures, especially material links with advertisers, with violations inviting financial penalties. These new rules complement influencer guidelines issued in June 2021 by the Advertising Standards Council of India.
