Mr Rohit Chauhan
Director, Public Policy, Head Digital Works
Mr Chauhan is a seasoned professional who understands the pivotal intersection of Technology, Public Policy, Global Affairs, Business Development, Sustainability and the Geopolitical landscape to augment the business drivers for impactful growth, brand reputation, risk mitigation, advocacy, and global expansion. He has insightful experience working with Foreign Embassies & High Commissions and multilateral forums (5+ programs) like the UN, World Bank and other global bodies on Digital Business, Policy & UN SDGs.
Mr Rohit Chauhan at the Harmonising ESG, CSR, CDR and SDGs, an India 2047 - Centre of Excellence Workshop
Mr Rohit Chauhan
Director, Public Policy, Head Digital Works
Key Points
- Compared past gaming addiction (e.g., Counter-Strike) to current social media addiction, emphasising the role of sophisticated algorithms in driving this addiction.
- Highlighted the difficulty of regulating offshore and global digital service providers, questioning the practicality of shutting down the domestic gaming industry without addressing global players.
- Stressed the importance of recognising both the positive and negative aspects of digital technology and the need for pragmatic and balanced regulation to mitigate harmful effects.
- Called for increased awareness of digital service usage and risks and developing in-house capabilities to track and control manipulative practices.
- Advocated for practical, evolving regulatory measures with strong government involvement and oversight, based on real-world experiences.
- Supported industry self-regulation, complemented by robust governmental oversight to ensure effectiveness and compliance.
Recommendations
Regulation
- Practicality of shutting down the gaming industry, highlighting the difficulty in controlling offshore and global digital service providers.
- Suggests shutting down domestic services without considering global players is impractical in a democratised internet environment.
- Regulation should be based on pragmatic thinking and a balanced approach, recognising both digital technology's positive and negative aspects.
Enhanced Oversight and Control
- Establish a dedicated regulatory body to oversee digital technologies, including gaming and social media platforms.
- Implement stringent reporting and monitoring mechanisms to track digital service providers and their practices.
- Develop capabilities to monitor and control manipulative practices such as deep fakes and surrogate advertisements.
In-House Capabilities
- Invest in research and development to build in-house technological capabilities for tracking and mitigating harmful digital practices.
- There is a need for awareness of how digital services are used and the development of sophisticated algorithms to track and control manipulative practices such as surrogate advertisements, deep fakes, election manipulation.
- Implement public awareness campaigns about the risks of digital addiction and the manipulative nature of algorithms.
- Introduce educational programs in schools and colleges to teach young people about responsible digital usage and the dangers of excessive screen time.
International Collaboration
- Collaborate with international partners to address offshore players' challenges in the gaming industry.
- This could involve negotiating agreements for cross-border regulation and sharing best practices for oversight and enforcement.
- Take proactive steps to intervene in the gaming industry and establish clear regulatory guidelines.
- Invest in building institutional capacities within government agencies to regulate the gaming industry and address emerging challenges in the digital space.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Engage with various stakeholders, including industry representatives, consumer advocates and civil society organisations, to ensure that regulatory measures are balanced and effective.
- This could be a consultation process, public hearings and ongoing dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
