iWorld
Viacom Digital Studios International enters into worldwide deal with Facebook
MUMBAI: Viacom Digital Studios International has partnered with Facebook to create a series of short- and mid-form digital video series for the social media giant’s Watch platform. Under the new deal, Viacom’s digital content studio will shows in the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Asia and the Americas.
“The point I’d let you know that’s really exciting is that it’s a multi-territory, worldwide partnership with Facebook,” Viacom Digital Studios International senior VP and general manager Brendan Yam said. “We can create original, locally relevant programming."
While Viacom Digital Studios International will also make eight shows in Asia based on a partnership with MTV Asia, four of the series will premiere later this year and the remaining four will be developed next year.
The unit will create four shows in the Americas including stand-up comedy series Portugal Realengo, featuring vlogger Rafael Portugal and it will make spin-offs of MTV UK shows for Watch in Europe while the UK shows will be localised for Germany, Spain and France.
“By partnering with Facebook, we are harnessing the power of our globally-recognised brands and IP and leveraging local talent and production capabilities to drive engagement with digital-first audiences around the globe,” Yam added.
iWorld
Telcos push for unified rules as spam shifts to OTT platforms
Over 80 per cent fraud moves online, operators seek common framework.
MUMBAI: The spam may have left your phone network but it hasn’t left you alone. India’s telecom operators are once again dialling up the pressure for a unified regulatory framework, warning that fraud is rapidly migrating to internet-based platforms where oversight remains far looser. According to industry communication, a leading operator has written to multiple arms of the government including the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance arguing that tighter controls on traditional telecom networks are inadvertently pushing bad actors towards over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms.
The concern is not new, but the framing has sharpened. What was once an industry grievance is now being positioned as a consumer protection issue. Operators say that tackling spam in silos no longer works, as fraudsters seamlessly shift across platforms, exploiting regulatory gaps. The result: a moving target that traditional safeguards struggle to contain.
Executives point to a clear shift in fraud patterns. OTT platforms are increasingly being used for phishing links, impersonation scams and bulk unsolicited messaging, with industry estimates suggesting that over 80 per cent of spam activity has now migrated online. In this environment, the lines between telecom networks, messaging apps and financial fraud are blurring fast.
At the heart of the industry’s demand is a call for a technology-neutral regulatory framework, one that applies consistently across telecom and internet-based communication services. Operators argue that the absence of uniform safeguards, such as sender verification systems, robust spam filters and clearly defined accountability mechanisms, has created enforcement blind spots that fraudsters are quick to exploit.
The proposal is straightforward but far-reaching. Telcos are pushing for baseline anti-fraud measures across all communication platforms, alongside faster response systems and deeper coordination between ministries. Given the interconnected nature of telecom networks, digital platforms and financial systems, they argue that fragmented oversight only weakens the overall defence.
The broader issue is regulatory arbitrage, the ability of bad actors to hop between platforms based on which is least regulated at any given time. Without harmonised rules, operators say, efforts to curb fraud risk becoming a game of whack-a-mole.
As digital communication continues to expand, the debate is shifting from who regulates what to how consistently it is regulated. For now, telecom operators are making their case clear: in a world where spam travels freely, regulation cannot afford to stay fragmented.
