Live-Streaming Apps- Just A Platform For Content Exploring Or A Way Of Objectifying Women!

According to industry consultants, the spike of live-streaming apps that host content mostly by women — revolving around film hits, doing their makeup, lounging around speaking about their day, and sometimes enticing their audience with the promise of private time on video calls — is leading to a sharp increase in viewership for these platforms. The greater downloads and engagement that “this model” provides encourages other platforms to adopt live streaming.

Live streaming is becoming more popular as a feature because it is more engaging. Chamet, Tango, and Boloji Pro are three of Google’s Play Store’s top ten grossing applications. As per experts, all these apps have content that often borders on the ‘Not Safe for Work’ category and have women who are often accessible for video conversations. Can’t it be considered an act of ‘objectifying women’?

Not only women another major reason these live streaming apps are gaining traction is their feature of in-app payments. The top-grossing applications have the most in-app payments made through the Play Store. Even if not originally introduced, many apps are adding this feature to increase their spectrum of audience. For example, applications like Chingari, which started as a short-form video app, added live streaming as an extra feature a few months ago. It is one of the top five-grossing apps in iOS India, surpassing the great Facebook India.

Is there any problem with having live streaming for apps? Is it a matter of concern?

Sumit Ghosh, CEO of Chingari, asserts that even though these applications claim to have strict restrictions, experts believe they may be breaking the law. Live streaming promotes interactivity and real-time response. It can potentially be a potent instrument, but like with other technology, how it is utilised or misused is entirely up to the individual. Yes, that marks the entry of the villain!

Opinions surrounding notions like the feature can be highly advantageous if a teacher utilises it to live broadcast lectures for pupils in faraway regions. Still, it follows that the tutor can anticipate “unscrupulous elements” in the form of abuse. 

What’s the problem with the In-app payments feature, and why this feature is considered premium?

Live streaming is much more profitable since it encourages micropayments for apps. Viewers on these applications, for example, may give authors virtual kisses, donuts, lollipops, hearts, and various other objects for a fee, which is paid for with micropayments ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 4,000!

According to a May 5 analysis by Mohit Rana, Partner at Redseer Strategy Consultants, live-streaming produces 10X more interaction for artists through live stream and comments. This improves the probability of virtual gifts and monetisation. However, the platforms retain around 50% of the revenue, with the remainder going to the inventor.

As per Rana, virtual gifting on Indian short-form video platforms is predicted to reach $1.7 billion by 2030 (up from $0.1 billion in 2022). The estimated spend on virtual giving in India is expected to rise as more consumers express an interest in spending on virtual gifts in the future. Now, this industry also has the potential to grow!

Chingari is a prime example. While noting that Chingari has been more experimental and had previously introduced blockchain-based app-specific currency, Rana stated that the company has now added paid video calling to drive micropayments. Chingari noted 5 million daily active users and 40 million monthly active users, with 175 million overall downloads.

However, Rana noted that the idea is not new to the Indian market, and applications like “Tango and Bigo (a Chinese app that was banned in India) have been around for a long time. Chingari is certain that it is developing solutions that will provide additional monetisation options for creators. This is done with “intense moderation,” which includes AI algorithms and manual human moderation.

There are sites like OnlyFans that give a platform for paywalled content throughout the world. OnlyFans gets a share of creators’ money and upload exclusive material for their subscribers. While any content may be uploaded to the network, OnlyFans has become synonymous with being an adult streaming platform. During the pandemic, its popularity increased because it provided an easy opportunity for users to monetise sexual content. And that marks the dark side of this ‘so-called’ premium feature.

Although, the creators mention that they keep an eye out for any kind of skin showing or anything else that might violate the rules and ban the profile. Some claim that even comments are moderated. They also empower creators to delete any visitor or commenter. So there’s ongoing moderation, Chingari’s COO and co-founder Deepak Salvi said. As a result, the company also concentrates on things like increasing user safety. Only people aged 17 and up may tip creators and must have their KYC in place. They can, however, utilise the app and go online. 

The scenario of inter-industry competition- the reason for the spike in live streaming apps.

Because the market for short-video applications is already rather crowded, live streaming has emerged as a popular alternative for apps. The short-video app market was getting consolidated between Reels, Josh, and Moj. Instagram, which Meta owns, is extremely popular in India. A TikTok prohibition created Instagram Reels three years ago, now Meta India’s fastest-growing sector. According to the firm, six million Reels are manufactured in India daily.

Then there are indigenous competitors like Josh and Moj, who are also expanding rapidly. Josh claimed 150 million monthly active users in April 2022. Moj said in December that it had about 300 million monthly active users and three million content uploads per day, with nearly six billion views per day. In such a crowded market, the “model” of live-streaming is assisting these applications in gaining eyes and increasing downloads and payments, allowing them to break out from the pack.

Is advertising creating an impact on live-streaming events?

There is a flood of suggestive advertising on these live streaming applications, with industry experts concerned. According to Chingari’s Salvi, the firm has third-party affiliates that run such adverts, and it is “taken down” if anybody within or outside the group pushes it. However, the company asserts that they are trying to create a platform where folks come and enjoy; hence, they have stopped working with certain ad agencies.

Now, the main cause of concern- the act of objectifying women!

A survey of these applications displays a spectrum of ladies who may be singing the Pathaan chartbuster ‘Besharam rang’ while another gyrates to the superhit item song ‘Oo Antava Mawa’. Others, conversely, discuss their college examinations uncomfortably or allow you to observe them while they apply cosmetics. While these appear to be everyday activities that individuals commonly publish on their social media sites, they might appear entirely different when live-streamed. Several of these posts show scantily clothed ladies reclining or making provocative gestures.

For example, after signing up for Boloji Pro, a user gets besieged with messages from several accounts, all with female names and very explicit display photos that say things like “Hello meri jaan, aap mujhe kya dikhana chahenge?” Alternatively, “richaarj karen aur mujhe kol karen.” Can’t even read them without feeling guilty! 

To respond and request the user’s contact information on the other end, a user can select from many plans ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 1,100. Users may navigate through profiles to “explore” them, and after choosing a person to chat with, the app prompts them to recharge to start a video call.

On Chamet, the top-grossing app on the Play Store, a user may select to be on a private conversation with a slew of other users, as well as a live stream and earn incentives such as a ‘lucky kiss,’ lollipops, cookies, cakes, and more – all of which can be awarded through micropayments.

Chamet mentions when joining a live stream that the platform prohibits Pornography, violence, vulgarity, juveniles, and other related situations during the live stream. The AI system monitors it throughout the clock. Violations of the regulations shall be harshly penalised if discovered. Legal experts believe that this does not inherently clear platforms of liability. Of course, that’s AI, which is definitely smart, but the human mind is smarter!

According to Salman Waris, founder of legal company TechLegis, this kind of content could violate the content moderation rules because it could ultimately be deemed a socially unacceptable depiction of a woman.

All three parties — the author, the user, and the platform — can be held accountable, although the breach of content rules falls mostly on users. Now users are notorious enough to say what’s good and what’s not! So for them, it’s strictly mentioned that obscenity does not occur when women are naked. Bodily gestures and actions may also be deemed obscene, welcoming the user under the harsh umbrella of law.

The corresponding criticism- The favour of feminism!

However, Megha Marik, PhD research researcher at TISS Guwahati, believes that if women use these applications freely, it should be regarded as an expression of their sexuality and independence and should be embraced.

But there is a fine line in understanding the context and level of women’s agency in using such apps, she says, adding that “a much informed and socially educated audience is demanded the safe use of such expression digital spaces.”

Ultimately, it feels disgusting to mention that in the name of entrepreneurs and content, the world is moving to see a different dimension of innovation in the coming decades!