Badshah's just the tip of the fake followers iceberg

If you think about it, it’s rather unfair that Badshah is the only one singled out for purchasing fake followers on social media (albeit a rather large number).

Recently the subject of much controversy with his video ‘Pagal’ coming under fire from the Mumbai police, the rapper was accused of paying a whopping Rs 75 lakh rupees for fake views on his video.

The story’s neither new nor too shocking, however, with the practice of purchasing views, likes, comments and even fake profiles quite synonymous with the industry. It’s almost a requirement at this point, if you’re looking to stay relevant.

With YouTube offering the same ‘paid views’ through its TrueAdvertising platform, one wonders then why it’s an issue if content creators choose to turn to cheaper agencies or platforms for the same benefits, if not more.

Caroline Felicia D’Almeida explains why views serve as YouTube currency for content creators, and whether the whole debate is based on a legal issue or not.