The Union home ministry has in an advisory to state governments said those behind Internet offences like “cyber-stalking”, “cyber-bullying” or “sending obscene videos (and) audios containing explicit sexual content to children” can be booked under existing provisions of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008 and the Indian Penal Code, which carry sentences ranging between two to five years.
These laws do not as such define offences like “cyber stalking” and “cyber bullying”.
A home ministry advisory also suggests Internet platforms, including social networking websites, could be blocked if they carry “any material threatening or causing incitement to disturb public order”. The ministry has already stopped its officials from using social networking websites on official computers after fears of hacking and espionage attempts by outfits based abroad.
The advisory, sent earlier this month, says young people, including children, are the biggest target of cyber offenders. It says “cyber bullying” — “harassment, embarrassment, taunting, insulting or threatening (behaviour)”; and “cyber stalking” — “following a victim repeatedly and persistently by emails or on other such networking sites” could invite penal provisions which carry a two-year jail term plus a fine of `2 lakhs.
The offence of “sending obscene pictures to children or trying to lure them through emails and other social networking sites” could draw a jail sentence of at least five years, it says.
The home ministry has asked state police forces to approach social networking websites to remove such undesirable content, including pornographic material, which could have an “undesirable effect on children”.
The MHA suggests roping in industry bodies like Nasscom as well as the National Technical Research Organisation and the Computer Emergency Response Team for training and assistance.