Digital media FDI rules to help government keep tabs on Chinese apps

Security clearance to CEO, foreign personnel aimed at monitoring sector, said experts

The foreign direct investment (FDI) rules announced on Friday will help the government monitor foreign companies, especially, Chinese firms, which have been investing in the country's digital media market, sector experts said.

News aggregator apps such as Dailyhunt and InShorts have nearly 80 per cent foreign ownership and do not adhere to the FDI norms for digital news media ownership, a recent letter from the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) to the government, said.

The Centre has made it mandatory for news aggregators as well as news agencies which supply information to digital media firms and companies uploading news and current