‘Samay Raina, Ranveer Allahbadia are victims’: Anupam Mittal suggests YouTube be summoned too
Anupam Mittal criticised YouTube and social media for promoting inappropriate content, calling Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina victims of a larger issue.
Amid the ongoing row over YouTuber and podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia's comments on Samay Raina's YouTube show India's Got Latent, Anupam Mittal, a judge on Shark Tank India Season 4, has called Allahbadia and Raina “victims” and also slammed YouTube and other social media platforms for promoting “inappropriate content.”
He shared his personal view on LinkedIn, noting that this issue extends beyond a few individuals and represents a larger social media phenomenon.
“The reality is, this isn’t about a few individuals but a broader social media phenomenon whose survival depends on increasing outrage. When one extreme becomes the norm, what does the algorithm do? Promotes the next level of obscenity. YouTube, Instagram, and digital media platforms dangle virality like prasad, watch creators chase, and then step back when the fire starts. Ranveer and Apoorva messed up really badly and apologized. Shouldn't we move our attention to the bigger issue?” he wrote in a post on LinkedIn.
He further added, “I personally think Ranveer, Apoorva, Samay et all are actually victims caught in an endless cycle of provocation for their relevance & survival. The real culprits are ‘Big-tech’ who take cover under digital intermediary laws that allow them to flout all responsbility and accountability. Imagine a newspaper or a tv channel publishing the type of content that these platforms carry with total impunity(sic).”
A user commented, “A recent report revealed that YouTube continues to show violence-related videos to minors, despite policies against it.”
By the time of writing, the post had reached 9,348 likes and 684 comments, with 145 reposts.
What is the controversy?
The controversy started last week when social media influencer and YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia made inappropriate comments to a participant on a comedy show about his parents' personal relationship. Social media users, public figures, and political leaders swiftly condemned the remark.
On the show, Allahbadia asked a contestant whether he would rather watch his parents have sex every day for the rest of his life or join in once and stop it forever.
Multiple police complaints were filed against Allahbadia and Samay Raina, the host of India’s Got Latent. Both, along with other participants from the show, were summoned by the police for questioning, and the issue was also brought up in Parliament.
Tushar Poojari, the producer of “India's Got Talent”, and Saurabh Bothra have failed to respond to the Commission's notice. NCW strongly condemned their lack of seriousness and issued a resummon for March 6, 2025, ANI reported.
Also Read: ‘Don’t worry about Samay Raina’: Standup comedian tells India’s Got Latent fans; here’s why
Samay Raina, currently in the US for a pre-planned tour, assured the Commission that he would make himself available for a hearing upon returning to India. The Commission has accepted his request and rescheduled the hearing for March 11.
In a statement on his Instagram Story, Raina said, “Everything that has been happening has been too much for me to handle. I have removed all India's Got Latent videos from my channel. My only objective was to make people laugh and have a good time. I will fully cooperate with all agencies to ensure their inquiries are concluded fairly. Thank you.”
(With inputs from agencies)
- Social media platforms may prioritize virality over responsible content, leading to harmful scenarios.
- Influencers face immense pressure to create provocative content to maintain relevance.
- The controversy illustrates a larger issue regarding accountability and oversight of digital content.
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