This article has been written by Mr. Mustafa Khan, a 1st year LLB student, at Integral University.
Introduction
The threat of cybercrime keeps growing as the world becomes more technologically dependent and networked. Cybercrime is a term used to describe illegal behaviours carried out using computer networks, including the internet. India has seen a sharp rise in the amount of cybercrime incidents in recent years, with women being one of the most vulnerable demographics. Cybercrime against women covers a wide range of offences, including sextortion, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and revenge porn. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there were 11,592 cases of cybercrime in India in 2015; by 2019, there were 27,248 cases, a 135% increase. The NCRB data also showed that between 2018 and 2019, cybercrime against women climbed by 50%. According to the data, cybercrime against women in modern India is a serious problem that needs to be addressed right away. Cybercrime can have a serious negative effect on women, including psychological distress, reputational damage, and monetary losses. In addition, victims of cybercrime frequently encounter difficulties in reporting such instances since they are unaware of and ignorant of the legal processes. Women are now more susceptible to cybercrime due to increasing online activity and a move towards remote employment following the epidemic and the ensuing lockdowns. Women are spending more time online as a result, which makes them more vulnerable to cybercrime. The goal of this essay is to give a thorough overview of cybercrime against women in modern India. We’ll investigate the worrying rise of cybercrime against women, analyse its current state, and offer preventative strategies to deal with this expanding menace. The article will also emphasise the effects of cybercrime on women and the urgent need to take action to make India’s women’s online community safer.
Reasons Behind the Rise of Cybercrime Against Women:
Women are now more susceptible to cybercrime as a result of the pandemic and accompanying lockdowns. Women spend more time online due to remote jobs and increased online engagement, making them more vulnerable to cybercrime. Additionally, the pandemic has increased the number of people dating online, which has increased the incidence of cyberstalking and online harassment. Women are currently easy targets for cybercriminals due to lack of awareness, ignorance of legal procedures, and weak cybersecurity precautions. Women are an obvious target for cybercrime, which has grown to be a global problem. As the internet has developed, there has been a sharp increase in cybercrimes, with women making up the majority of the victims. India has made progress in the field of technology, and the country’s internet is growing more quickly. This growth was primarily observed during the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, which further increased people’s reliance on the internet to access services and, as a result, created a habit of using the internet for work, play, and professional and educational purposes.
From offline to online culture and work-from-home modes, there was a widespread movement. The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown has led to an increase in incidents of cybercrime in India, which has seen a dramatic rise in crimes over the past few years. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which publishes the Crime in India – Statistics book, reports that 10,405 incidences of cybercrime committed against women were officially reported for the year 2020, with Kamataka reporting the largest number of incidents. According to National Crime Records Bureau data, since 2019 there has been a 20% increase in the amount of cybercrime committed against women. Aside from data analysis, cybercrime against women in India is still not regarded as a serious problem, and today’s common online extortion tactics include objectifying, defaming, morphing images, harassing women, and extorting money in exchange for satisfying sexual needs. Additionally, it has created a sense of fear among women about using the internet and social media platforms and presented a serious threat to their security and privacy. We can draw the conclusion that women in India are the true victims of cybercrime.
Although it is clear that cybercrimes have caused serious harm since the COVID-19 pandemic in India, there are a number of factors that have made the situation worse and contributed to the rise in cybercrime cases. Cyberspace is a boon and blessing for human civilization. Our way of life has radically altered as a result of globalisation and technological growth. We now seek for modern lifestyles and adopt western culture. It has enabled us to live our lives as we see fit without fear of being interrogated about anything, making privacy one of the most important rights in today’s society. A tremendous psychological and emotional impact has been caused on the lives of housewives who are trapped to their houses by the mounting workload and pressure, as well as the growing distances from our loved ones and the difficulty in finding time for anyone in this work race. From offline to online culture and work-from-home modes, there was a widespread movement. India has seen a steep increase in cybercrime cases in recent years, but the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has caused the number of instances to soar. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) issued Crime in India – Statistics volume Il for the year 2020, and it states that there were 10,405 total cases of cybercrime reported against women, with Karnataka reporting the greatest number of cases. According to National Crime Records Bureau data, there have been 28% more cybercrimes against women since 2019. Aside from data analysis, cybercrime against women in India is still not regarded as a serious problem, and today’s common online extortion tactics include objectification, defaming morphing images, harassment of women, and extortion for the fulfilment of sexual needs. Additionally, it has created a sense of fear among women about using the internet and social media platforms and presented a serious threat to their security and privacy. We can draw the conclusion that women in India are the true victims of cybercrime. Although it is clear that cybercrimes have caused serious harm since the COVID-19 pandemic in India, there are many factors that have contributed to the situation and increased the number of cybercrime cases. Cyberspace is a boon and blessing for human civilization. They use social networking sites as a way to pass the time and unwittingly engage in conversation with strangers in an effort to combat their loneliness. Nowadays, making acquaintances online is simple. It is frequently observed that lonely ladies are easy prey for cybercriminals. In addition, women, who are primarily housewives, have access to the internet but are less adept at using cutting-edge technology, which prevents them from knowing how to use social networking sites in reality. In India, a patriarchal society, most women are given less independence, and they are not even granted any rights within their own families. and are instructed from an early age not to speak out against wrongdoers. Because of this, men are perceived as being more superior and dynamic than women, and as a result, women are frequently the targets of abuse and humiliation. It gives men complete freedom to act however they please in the virtual world with women who are portrayed as being inferior in every way. Men have tremendous courage to abuse, threaten, defame, sexually harass, and blackmail women online, believing that doing so would cause social embarrassment and humiliation for the victim. Because they lack courage, fear rejection from their own families, and worry about social stigma, the majority of victims do not prefer to report their cases of victimisation. Even many of them are unaware that cybercrime is a crime, are unsure of what to do if they witness a cybercrime, and are unsure of where to report the crime. Out of fear of social embarrassment, they decide not to tell anyone about the incident, including their own family members. It is frequently observed that even family members oppose taking action against it owing to the associated social disgrace and only hold them responsible for the pain. Nearly everyone in the modern world experiences tension, anxiety, and stress, and in order to relieve these symptoms, they have begun to socialise more on online social networking sites where no physical presence is necessary.
Our reliance on the internet has increased as a result of the COVID-19 shutdown period, and since then, there are an estimated 718.74 million active internet users in India, or 54.29% of the country’s entire population. There are currently 824,890,000 million active users, or 58.6% of the population, as of March 2022. Because there are more people using the internet, there is an increase in the inappropriate use of it to gratify sexual needs. This has led to an addiction and obsession among sexual predators who engage in cybersex, cyberpornography, demand sexual favours through threats and blackmail, and post fake and objectionable images. All of these have contributed to widespread internet abuse and exploitation, which has negatively impacted women’s mental health.
Legal framework
The Information Technology Act of 2000 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) primarily set the legal parameters for cybercrime against women in India. In 2008, the Information Technology Act of 2000 underwent an amendment to add new cybercrime-related measures. For instance, Section 66E of the IT Act makes it illegal to distribute private photos or films without the victim’s permission, and Section 67B forbids the dissemination of content that shows youngsters engaging in sexually explicit behaviour. Other cybercrime-related offences included by the IPC include stalking, voyeurism, defamation, and criminal intimidation. Stalking is prohibited by Section 354D of the IPC, which includes monitoring a woman’s online activity or making frequent contact with her while inciting her anxiety or fear of violence. Voyeurism, which entails taking pictures of a woman’s intimate parts without her permission and publishing or transferring them, is forbidden by section 354C.
To combat cybercrime against women, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) has also started a number of initiatives. The Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC) programme seeks to raise awareness of cybercrime and develop the skills of law enforcement, prosecutors, and the judiciary to deal with incidents of it. To help victims rapidly report cybercrime incidents, the MWCD has also developed an online platform called the Cyber Crime Reporting platform.
- Section 66A of the Information Technology Act of 2000, as amended by the Information Technology (Amendment) Act of 2008, outlines the penalties for delivering insulting messages using computer or communication resources. Receiving a computer resource or communication device that has been stolen dishonestly is punishable under Section 668 of the Act. Act’s Section 66C: Penalties for fraudulent use of electronic signatures, passwords, or other types of unique identification Using a computer to impersonate someone else is punishable under Section 660 of the Act, and a violation of privacy is punishable by Section 66E of the Act. Punishment for publishing or transmitting offensive content in electronic form is provided for in Section 67 of the Act. Section 67A of the law imposes penalties for electronically posting or distributing content that contains sexually explicit acts or conduct
- The Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Amendment Act
Sexual harassment and its penalties under Section 354A of the Act
Voyeurism under Section 354C of the Act
The act’s Section 354D—stalking
Act Section 499: Defamation
Criminal intimidation under Section 503 of the Act
Criminal intimidation charges under Section 507 of the Act that involve anonymous communications
Every word, deed, or gesture intended to offend a woman’s modesty is prohibited by section 509 of the act.
- The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 is a law that regulates and forbids the indecent portrayal of women in any form. Indecent depictions of women are not permitted in advertising under Section 3, and they are not permitted in books, pamphlets, papers, films, writings, or drawings that are published or delivered by mail under Section 4.
In India, conviction rates for cybercrime against women remain low despite the legal framework and initiatives. One of the causes of this is that law enforcement organisations and prosecutors are not informed of the nature of cybercrime. Furthermore, it is difficult to effectively investigate and prosecute cybercrime cases due to the complexity of the crime and the difficulty in gathering digital evidence.
Despite the fact that India has a legal framework in place to address cybercrime against women, law enforcement organisations and judicial authorities still need to improve their awareness and capacity building efforts. The government must see to it that the legal framework is properly applied and that the victims receive the support and help they require in order to report and seek redress for such acts.
Proactive Measures to Counter Cybercrime Against Women:
To make the internet a safer place for women in India, proactive actions against cybercrime against women are essential. Some steps that can be implemented to combat cybercrime against women include the following:
Knowledge and instruction: Increasing awareness and teaching women about online safety is one of the most efficient strategies to combat cybercrime against women. Women should be educated on the different kinds of cybercrime, how to spot them, and how to file reports. To inform women about online safety, the government might start awareness campaigns and training programmes for them.
Legal framework implementation: The government should make sure that the laws pertaining to cybercrime against women are implemented correctly. The appropriate training and tools should be made available to the judicial and law enforcement authorities in order for them to successfully investigate and prosecute cybercrime crimes.
enhancing cybersecurity measures: To stop cybercrime against women, cybersecurity measures should be boosted. The usage of security tools like firewalls and antivirus software can be encouraged by the government, along with the use of two-factor authentication and strong passwords.
Legal framework implementation: The government should make sure that the laws pertaining to cybercrime against women are implemented correctly. The appropriate training and tools should be made available to the judicial and law enforcement authorities in order for them to successfully investigate and prosecute cybercrime crimes.
enhancing cybersecurity measures: To stop cybercrime against women, cybersecurity measures should be boosted. The usage of security tools like firewalls and antivirus software can be encouraged by the government, along with the use of two-factor authentication and strong passwords.
Every woman in India should take precautions before exploring the internet and social networking sites because many women there are falling victim to cybercrimes. All online-connected women have a responsibility to protect their sensitive personal information by adjusting the privacy settings, limiting the number of viewers, and refraining from sharing passwords, intimate messages, information, pictures, or anything else that could potentially endanger life. It is usually advisable to go on meet-ups with new internet friends in groups, and if required, to talk about this in advance with family, friends, or anyone else who can offer the best advice.
Additionally, social networking site policies must be strictly adhered to. First and foremost, it is crucial for any woman who is being harassed to overcome her fear of social stigmatisation before reporting the incident to NGOs, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (online), or the police, who can help and advise on the appropriate course of action against cybercrimes. It is never too late to file a police report, and it’s equally crucial to speak out against cybercrime so that the offender won’t have an opportunity to carry out the same illegal acts online. In order to prevent drawing in a large audience, ladies should be cautious when making online friends and only provide as much information as is absolutely necessary.
Collaboration and partnerships: The government, commercial sector, and civil society organisations can work together to effectively combat cybercrime against women. In order to help women combat cybercrime, the government can work with NGOs and businesses in the private sector.
To sum up, proactive steps are essential to combating cybercrime against women in modern India. In order to build a safer online environment for women in India, the government, civil society organisations, and the commercial sector must collaborate to raise awareness, boost cybersecurity measures, empower women, provide safe online spaces, and successfully enforce the legislative framework.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is really concerning that cybercrime against women is becoming a greater problem in modern India. Women are more exposed to different types of cybercrime, including stalking, online harassment, cyberbullying, and pornographic retaliation. The long-term effects of cybercrime include harm to women’s privacy, reputation, and mental health. The Information Technology Act of 2000 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) primarily set the legal parameters for cybercrime against women in India. Various offences related to cybercrime against women are covered by the IPC, including stalking, voyeurism, defamation, and criminal intimidation. The Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC) scheme and the Cyber Crime Reporting Portal are just two of the initiatives the government has launched to combat cybercrime against women. However, there is a need for increased understanding of the nature of cybercrime and capacity building among law enforcement agencies and judicial authorities. The government must see to it that the legal framework is properly applied and that the victims receive the support and help they require in order to report and seek redress for such acts. Examining the matter, it is clear that with social media platforms becoming more and more popular, cybercrime has grown into a severe security danger and is detrimental to the expansion and growth of the economy as a whole.Women are now the main target of several cybercrimes as a result of the internet’s explosive growth and the spread of information on social media platforms. Their respect, privacy, dignity, social life, safety, and sense of security are constantly at risk and damaged as a result. The issue requires the implementation of strict regulations with harsh penalties as well as the modification of the current cyber laws. The government must enact strict legislation to educate women about cybercrimes that are currently occurring and how to assert legal rights if violated in such situations. Information about how to use the internet properly must also be disseminated to the general public in order to raise awareness. The legal system also needs to be changed to reflect technological advancements.
In the modern Indian context, proactive steps are essential to combat cybercrime against women. These steps include raising awareness, enhancing cybersecurity safeguards, empowering women, establishing secure online environments, and working with NGOs and businesses. In order for women to exercise their freedom to use the internet without fear of cybercrime, it is crucial to provide a safer online environment for them.
In conclusion, the government, civil society organisations, and the commercial sector must work together to successfully address the critical problem of cybercrime against women. We can make the internet safer for women to use and ensure that they may profit from it without being concerned about cybercrime by taking proactive steps and collaborating.
Reference
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2486125
https://www.clearias.com/cybercrime-against-women/