I&B Ministry
Waves anti-piracy challenge sparks digital security revolution
MUMBAI: Piracy is the digital equivalent of sneaky pickpocketing—except here, it’s entire films, shows, and creative works vanishing into the dark web. But India has decided to put an end to this digital thievery with the Waves anti-piracy challenge, an ambitious initiative aimed at safeguarding digital content in an era where technology evolves faster than your favourite streaming algorithms. Organised as part of the Create in India Challenges, this competition has drawn a staggering 1,296 registrations, proving that fighting piracy is not just a noble cause—it’s an urgent one.
The challenge, backed by the ministry of information and broadcasting in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), zeroes in on fingerprinting and watermarking technologies to combat unauthorised distribution, piracy, and content manipulation. And it’s not just a contest; it’s a digital battleground where individuals, research teams, startups, and established organisations are vying to create the ultimate piracy-proof tech.
A core segment of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (Waves), this anti-piracy initiative is set to unfold in Mumbai from 1-4 May 2025, where the global media & entertainment (M&E) industry will converge to witness the next wave of content protection. With four key pillars—Broadcasting and infotainment, AVGC XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Extended Reality), digital media and innovation, and films—this summit is India’s bold declaration that it’s ready to lead the fight against digital piracy.
Why does it matter? Because piracy is no longer just about grainy bootleg DVDs or sketchy torrent sites—it’s an evolving beast that threatens content creators and industries alike. The Waves Anti-Piracy Challenge is a clarion call to India’s brightest minds, encouraging them to develop indigenous solutions that will protect digital content integrity.
The create in India challenges have already attracted over 73,000 registrations, a testament to the country’s booming interest in media security. With a clear focus on fingerprinting and watermarking, this initiative aims to:
. Provide a launchpad for homegrown companies to showcase their security solutions.
. Foster novel techniques that improve digital content traceability and protection.
. Ensure seamless integration of anti-piracy technologies into media workflows.
. Support the development of cutting-edge solutions addressing both current and future piracy challenges.
Piracy has evolved from sneaky DVD sellers at traffic signals to sophisticated cyber operations threatening billion-dollar industries. India’s response? Unleashing an army of innovators through Waves. This initiative ensures that content creators—from Hindi cinema studios to indie game developers—can secure their intellectual property with robust, state-of-the-art technologies.
As the Waves summit approaches, anticipation builds for the groundbreaking ideas that will emerge. Supported by industry leaders, policymakers, and tech pioneers, this challenge doesn’t just showcase innovation—it paves the way for real-world applications that will safeguard India’s digital future.
I&B Ministry
IT Rules tweaks are clarificatory, not expansion of powers: MeitY
Govt signals flexibility as platforms push for clarity on user content rules
NEW DELHI: The Centre has sought to dial down concerns over its proposed amendments to the IT Rules, with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary S Krishnan asserting that the changes are intended as clarifications rather than an expansion of regulatory powers.
Pushing back against criticism from platforms and civil society, S Krishnan said the amendments “do not in any way actually give us wider powers” and are meant to remove ambiguity in how existing provisions are applied. He added that the trigger came largely from within the ecosystem, with intermediaries themselves seeking clearer guidance on compliance, takedowns and record preservation.
At the heart of the debate is the growing friction between platforms and policymakers over responsibility for user-generated content. Intermediaries have argued that they should not be treated on par with publishers, particularly when content is created and uploaded by users. Krishnan acknowledged this concern, noting that “a sharper distinction” between user content and publisher content is needed and is currently under examination.
The issue becomes more complex in enforcement scenarios. While registered publishers can be directly asked to modify or remove content, intermediaries often lack control over the original creator. “In such cases, the intermediary cannot direct those changes,” Krishnan explained, underlining the need for procedural nuance.
Another key proposal under discussion is to bring user-generated news and current affairs content within a more unified regulatory ambit, potentially under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The move follows suggestions that a single authority should handle such content, regardless of whether it originates from a publisher or an individual user.
Even as the government frames the amendments as a tidy-up exercise, fault lines remain. Industry players have flagged concerns over compliance burdens, especially for smaller businesses, and questioned whether advisories could effectively become binding without explicit legislative backing. Krishnan said the government is mindful of these risks and is exploring ways to ease obligations, including possible relaxations under certain provisions.
The ministry is also considering consolidating multiple advisories and guidelines into a more structured framework, a step widely seen as addressing long-standing confusion over what platforms are expected to follow.
On takedowns, the government has reiterated that due process will remain unchanged. Krishnan stressed that actions will continue to be governed by established procedures, with reasons recorded and review mechanisms in place. He also pointed to the surge in deepfakes and synthetic media as a factor behind rising content disputes, calling it a “scale challenge” for regulators.
Interestingly, Krishnan also framed social media platforms as commercial entities rather than pure vehicles of free expression, hinting at a broader shift in regulatory thinking as platform economics come into sharper focus.
With stakeholders seeking more time and, in some cases, a rollback of the proposals, the government has kept the consultation process open-ended. Krishnan said further revisions remain on the table, signalling a willingness to adapt the draft based on feedback.
For now, the message from MeitY is clear: the rules may not be tightening in intent, but the effort to define them more clearly is well underway.
