Cyber Notes

Unit-1
Introduction to Cyber Crimes

Objectives:
After going through this unit you will be able to understand:
 What is Cyber crime and cyber Law
 What is Cyber Crime and Origin of Cyber Crime
 Jurisprudence of Indian Cyber Law and Crime
Structure:
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Origin of Cyber Crime
1.3 What is Cyber Law?
1.4 Need for Cyber Law
1.5 Jurisprudence of Indian Cyber Law
1.6 Introduction to Cyber Crime
1.7 Defining Cyber Crime
1.8 Frequently Used Cyber Crimes
1.9 Misuse of technology
1.10 Summary
1.11 References
1.12 Check your progress
1.13 Answers to check your progress
1.14 Terminal questions
1.1 Introduction1
"Cyberspace" is a very wider term. Most of us have a limited knowledge of
"Cyberspace" and the crimes occurring in "cyberspace", known as cybercrime,
which happens on computer and the Internet, however, cybercrime has a severe
potential for remarkable impact on the lives of individuals and our society.
Therefore, a detailed introduction of cybercrime needs to be understood. There are
1
A Survey of Cybercrime by Zhicheng Yang; retrieved from http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cse571-11/ftp/crime/
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many terms used to describe cybercrime. The former descriptions were "computer
crime", "computer-related crime" or "crime by computer". With the pervasion of
digital technology, some new terms like "high-technology" or "information-age"
crime were added to the definition. Also, Internet brought other new terms, like
"cybercrime" and "net" crime and Other forms include "digital", "electronic",
"virtual", "IT", "High-tech" and Technology-enabled" crime. However, on the one
hand, each of them didn't cover the whole meaning of cybercrime, because there is
no incorporation of networks. On the other hand, terms such as "high-tech" or
"electronic" crime might be too broad to specify that the crime is the exact
cybercrime, since other fields also have "hi-tech" developments like
nanotechnology and bioengineering. Currently, although no one term has become
totally dominant in use, "cybercrime" is the term used most pervasively. In general,
cybercrime has three categories:
1. Target cybercrime: the crime in which a computer is the target of the offense.
2. Tool cybercrime: the crime in which a computer is used as a tool in
committing the offense.
3. Computer incidental: the crime in which a computer plays a minor role in
committing the offense.
The history of cybercrime is short compared with traditional crimes. The first
published report of cybercrime occurred in the 1960s, when computers were large
mainframe systems. Since mainframes were not connected with other ones and
only few people can access them, the cybercrimes were always "insider"
cybercrimes, which means employment allowed them to access into mainframe
computers. Actually, in the 1960s and 1970s, the cybercrime, which was
"computer crime" in fact, was different from the cybercrime we faced with today,
because of no Internet in that era. In following decades, the increasing of computer
network and personal computers transformed "computer crime" into real
cybercrime. Since Internet was invented, people began to exchange information
based on networks of computers, also keep data in computer rather than paper. At
the same time, the cybercrime was not only restricted in target cybercrime, but
expanded into tool cybercrime and computer incidental. This process is similar to
the process of learning one language. In childhood, we learn language itself; then,
when we grow up and are good at it, we will use it to communicate with each other
but itself is not a prime element. In general, current consensus on the classification
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of cybercrime is to divide it into three categories that are said in the first paragraph
above. We can set another analogy: target cybercrime is like crossword, which
focuses on the magic of language itself; tool cybercrime is similar to fraud or
harassment on street or in other face-to-face ways, but the place in which tool
cybercrime happens is not physical environment but cyberspace; computer
incidental including some electronic proof is saved in computer or the camera
captures the criminal withdrawing money in a bank. Generally, these three
categories are elaborated in the three following sections and in each section some
latest cases will be studied.
1.2 Origin of Cyber Crime2

It is believed the first recorded cybercrime took place in the year 1820.This
can be true with the fact that, computer did exist since 3500 BC in India, China and
Japan. The modern computer began with the analytical engine of Charles Babbage.
Banks and other financial institutions were amongst the first large scale
computer users in the private sector, for automate payroll and accounting
functions. Therefore, fraud in a computer scheme merged. One of the first cases
cited as an instance of the computer fraud involved equity-funding Corporation in
the US, fraud was simple. The frauds succeed because the auditors and regulators
accepted computer printouts as definitive evidence of policies and did not ask
original documentation. When the fraud was discovered, some 64,000 out of
97,000 policies allegedly issued by the company proved to be false, almost 1
Billion pounds estimated to be the loss.
Therefore as the technological advance, the number of cybercrime cases
increased. There is no reliable and precise statistics of the losses the victims gain as
the fact that victims do not detect many of these crimes. Therefore, fights against
computer crime began. Several individuals were engaged in the fight against
computer crime from the early development. The founder and father of the
knowledge of computer crimes are by many observers considered to be Donn B.
Parker, USA. He was involved in the research of computer crime and security from
2
Security, Prevention and Detection of Cyber Crimes by Asherry Magalla, Tumaini University Iringa University College;
retrieved from
http://www.academia.edu/3471542/THE_INTRODUCTION_TO_CYBERCRIME_SECURITY_PREVENTION_AND_DETEC
TION_OF_CYBERCRIME_IN_TANZANIA
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the early 1970ties. He served as a Senior Computer Security Consultant at the SRI
International (Stanford Research Institute), and was the main author of the first
basic federal manual for law enforcement in the USA: ‗Computer Crime –Criminal
Justice Resource Manual‘ (1979). This manual became so on an encyclopedia also
for law enforcement outside US.
1.3 What is Cyber Law?3

Cyber Law is the law governing cyber space. Cyber space is a very wide term and
includes computers, networks, software, data storage devices.
(Such as hard disks, USB disks etc.), the Internet, websites, emails and even
electronic devices such as cell phones, ATM machines etc.
Law encompasses the rules of conduct:
1. That have been approved by the government, and
2. Which are in force over a certain territory, and
3. Which must be obeyed by all persons on that territory?
Violation of these rules could lead to government action such as imprisonment or
fine or an order to pay compensation.
Cyber law encompasses laws relating to:
1. Cyber Crimes
2. Electronic and Digital Signatures
3. Intellectual Property
4. Data Protection and Privacy
Cybercrimes are unlawful acts where the computer is used either as a tool or
a target or both. The enormous growth in electronic commerce (e-commerce) and
online share trading has led to a phenomenal spurt in incidents of cybercrime.
Electronic signatures are used to authenticate electronic records. Digital signatures
are one type of electronic signature. Digital signatures satisfy three major legal
requirements – signer authentication, message authentication and message
integrity.
The technology and efficiency of digital signatures makes them more
trustworthy than hand written signatures.
3
Introduction to Indian Cyber Law by Rohas Nagpal, Asian School of Cyber Law; retrieved from
http://www.cccindia.co/corecentre/Database/Docs/DocFiles/india_cyber.pdf
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Intellectual property is refers to creations of the human mind e.g. a story, a
song, a painting, a design etc. The facets of intellectual property that relate to cyber
space are covered by cyber law.
These include:
 Copyright law in relation to computer software, computer source code,
websites, cell phone content etc.
 Software and source code licenses
 Trademark law with relation to domain names, Meta tags, mirroring,
framing, linking etc.
 Semiconductor law which relates to the protection of semiconductor
integrated circuits design and layouts,
 Patent law in relation to computer hardware and software.
Data protection and privacy laws aim to achieve a fair balance between the privacy
rights of the individual and the interests of data controllers such as banks,
hospitals, email service providers etc. These laws seek to address the challenges to
privacy caused by collecting, storing and transmitting data using new technologies.
1.4 Need for Cyber Law4

There are various reasons why it is extremely difficult for conventional law
to cope with cyberspace. Some of these are discussed below.
1. Cyberspace is an intangible dimension that is impossible to govern and
regulate using conventional law.
2. Cyberspace has complete disrespect for jurisdictional boundaries. A person
in India could break into a bank‖s electronic vault hosted on a computer in USA
and transfer millions of Rupees to another bank in Switzerland, all within minutes.
All he would need is a laptop computer and a cell phone.
3. Cyberspace handles gigantic traffic volumes every second. Billions of emails
are crisscrossing the globe even as we read this, millions of websites are being
accessed every minute and billions of dollars are electronically transferred around
the world by banks every day.
4
Introduction to Indian Cyber Law by Rohasn Nagpal, Asian School of Cyber Law; retrieved from
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4. Cyberspace offers enormous potential for anonymity to its members. Readily
available encryption software and steganographic tools that seamlessly hide
information within image and sound files ensure the confidentiality of information
exchanged between cyber-citizens.
5. Cyberspace offers never-seen-before economic efficiency. Billions of
dollars‖ worth of software can be traded over the Internet without the need for any
government licenses, shipping and handling charges and without paying any
customs duty.
6. Electronic information has become the main object of cybercrime. It is
characterized by extreme mobility, which exceeds by far the mobility of persons,
goods or other services. International computer networks can transfer huge
amounts of data around the globe in a matter of seconds.
7. A software source code worth crores of rupees or a movie can be pirated
across the globe within hours of their release.
8. Theft of corporeal information (e.g. books, papers, CD ROMs, floppy disks)
is easily covered by traditional penal provisions. However, the problem begins
when electronic records are copied quickly, inconspicuously and often via
telecommunication facilities. Here the ‗original‘ information, so to say, remains in
the ‗possession‘ of the ‗owner‘ and yet information gets stolen.
1.5 Jurisprudence of Indian Cyber Law5

The primary source of cyber law in India is the Information Technology Act, 2000
(IT Act) which came into force on 17 October 2000. The primary purpose of the
Act is to provide legal recognition to electronic commerce and to facilitate filing of
electronic records with the Government. The IT Act also penalizes various
cybercrimes and provides strict punishments (imprisonment terms upto 10 years
and compensation up to Rs 1 crore).
An Executive Order dated 12 September 2002 contained instructions relating
provisions of the Act with regard to protected systems and application for the issue
of a Digital Signature Certificate. Minor errors in the Act were rectified by the
Information Technology (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2002 which was passed
5
Introduction to Indian Cyber Law by Rohas Nagpal, Asian School of Cyber Law; retrieved from
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on 19 September 2002. The IT Act was amended by the Negotiable Instruments
(Amendments and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2002. This introduced the
concept of electronic cheques and truncated cheques. Information Technology
(Use of Electronic Records and Digital Signatures) Rules, 2004 has provided the
necessary legal framework for filing of documents with the Government as well as
issue of licenses by the Government.
It also provides for payment and receipt of fees in relation to the Government
bodies. On the same day, the Information Technology (Certifying Authorities)
Rules, 2000 also came into force. These rules prescribe the eligibility, appointment
and working of Certifying Authorities (CA). These rules also lay down the
technical standards, procedures and security methods to be used by a CA.
These rules were amended in 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Information Technology (Certifying Authority) Regulations, 2001 came into
force on 9 July 2001. They provide further technical standards and procedures to
be used by a CA. Two important guidelines relating to CAs were issued. The first
are the Guidelines for submission of application for license to operate as a
Certifying Authority under the IT Act. These guidelines were issued on 9th July
2001. Next were the Guidelines for submission of certificates and certification
revocation lists to the Controller of Certifying Authorities for publishing in
National Repository of Digital Certificates. These were issued on 16thDecember
2002. The Cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal (Procedure) Rules, 2000 also
came into force on 17th October 2000.
These rules prescribe the appointment and working of the Cyber Regulations
Appellate Tribunal (CRAT) whose primary role is to hear appeals against orders of
the Adjudicating Officers. The Cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal (Salary,
Allowances and other terms and conditions of service of Presiding Officer) Rules,
2003 prescribe the salary, allowances and other terms for the Presiding Officer of
the CRAT. Information Technology (Other powers of Civil Court vested in Cyber
Appellate Tribunal) Rules 2003 provided some additional powers to the CRAT.
On 17th March 2003, the Information Technology (Qualification and
Experience of Adjudicating Officers and Manner of Holding Enquiry) Rules, 2003
were passed. These rules prescribe the qualifications required for Adjudicating
Officers. Their chief responsibility under the IT Act is to adjudicate on cases such
as unauthorized access, unauthorized copying of data, spread of viruses, denial of
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service attacks, disruption of computers, computer manipulation etc. These rules
also prescribe the manner and mode of inquiry and adjudication by these officers.
The Government had not appointed the Adjudicating Officers or the Cyber
Regulations Appellate Tribunal for almost 2 years after the passage of the IT Act.
This prompted ASCL students to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the
Bombay High Court asking for a speedy appointment of Adjudicating officers. The
Bombay High Court, in its order dated 9th October 2002, directed the Central
Government to announce the appointment of adjudicating officers in the public
media to make people aware of the appointments. The division bench of the
Mumbai High Court consisting of Hon‖ble Justice A.P. Shah and Hon‖ble Justice
Ranjana Desai also ordered that the Cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal be
constituted within a reasonable time frame.
Following this the Central Government passed an order dated 23rd March
2003 appointing the ‗Secretary of Department of Information Technology of each
of the States or of Union Territories‘ of India as the adjudicating officers. The
Information Technology (Security Procedure) Rules, 2004 came into force on 29th
October 2004. They prescribe provisions relating to secure digital signatures and
secure electronic records. Also relevant are the Information Technology (Other
Standards) Rules, 2003.
An important order relating to blocking of websites was passed on 27th
February, 2003. Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IND) can instruct
Department of Telecommunications (DOT) to block a website. The Indian Penal
Code (as amended by the IT Act) penalizes several cybercrimes. These include
forgery of electronic records, cyber frauds, destroying electronic evidence etc.
Digital Evidence is to be collected and proven in court as per the provisions of the
Indian Evidence Act (as amended by the IT Act).
In case of bank records, the provisions of the Bankers‖ Book Evidence Act (as
amended by the IT Act) are relevant. Investigation and adjudication of cybercrimes
is done in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure and
the IT Act.
The Reserve Bank of India Act was also amended by the IT Act.
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1.6 Introduction to Cyber Crime6
The first recorded cybercrime took place in the year 1820! That is not
surprising considering the fact that the abacus, which is thought to be the earliest
form of a computer, has been around since 3500 B.C. in India, Japan and China.
The era of modern computers, however, began with the analytical engine of
Charles Babbage.
In 1820, Joseph-Marie Jacquard, a textile manufacturer in France, produced
the loom. This device allowed the repetition of a series of steps in the weaving of
special fabrics. This resulted in a fear amongst Jacquard's employees that their
traditional employment and livelihood were being threatened. They committed acts
of sabotage ego discourage Jacquard from further use of the new technology. This
is the first recorded cybercrime.
Today computers have come a long way, with neural networks and Nano-
computing promising to turn every atom in a glass of water into a computer
capable of performing a Billion operations per second. Cybercrime is an evil
having its origin in the growing dependence on computers in modern life. In a day
and age when everything from microwave ovens and refrigerators to nuclear power
plants is being run on computers, cybercrime has assumed rather sinister
implications. Major Cybercrimes in the recent past include the Citibank rip off. US
$ 10 million were fraudulently transferred out of the bank and into a bank account
in Switzerland. A Russian hacker group led by Vladimir Kevin, a renowned
hacker, perpetrated the attack. The group compromised the bank's security systems.
Vladimir was allegedly using his office computer at AO Saturn, a computer firm in
St. Petersburg, Russia, to break into Citibank computers. He was finally arrested
on Heathrow airport on his way to Switzerland
1.7 Defining Cyber Crime7
At the onset, let us satisfactorily define "cybercrime" and differentiate it from
"conventional Crime". Computer crime can involve criminal activities that are
traditional in nature, such as theft, fraud, forgery, defamation and mischief, all of
6
Introduction to Cybercrime (.pdf); retrieved from
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UuufsIlO0FQJ:wsilfi.staff.gunadarma.ac.id/Downloads/files/13309/W0
3-Cyber%2Bcrime.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in
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which are subject to the Indian Penal Code. The abuse of computers has also given
birth to a gamut of new age crimes that are addressed by the Information
Technology Act, 2000.
Defining cybercrimes, as "acts that are punishable by the Information
Technology Act" would be unsuitable as the Indian Penal Code also covers many
cybercrimes, such as email spoofing and cyber defamation, sending threatening
emails etc. A simple yet sturdy definition of cybercrime would be "unlawful acts
wherein the computer is either a tool or a target or both".
Let us examine the acts wherein the computer is a tool for an unlawful act. This
kind of activity usually involves a modification of a conventional crime by using
computers. Some examples are:
Financial crimes: This would include cheating, credit card frauds, money
laundering etc. To cite a recent case, a website offered to sell Alphonso mangoes at
a throwaway price. Distrusting such a transaction, very few people responded to or
supplied the website with their credit card numbers. These people were actually
sent the Alphonso mangoes. The word about this website now spread like wildfire.
Thousands of people from all over the country responded and ordered mangoes by
providing their credit card numbers. The owners of what was later proven to be a
bogus website then fled taking the numerous credit card numbers and proceeded to
spend huge amounts of money much to the chagrin of the card owners.
1.7.1 Cyber pornography

This would include pornographic websites; pornographic magazines
produced using computers (to publish and print the material) and the Internet (to
download and transmit pornographic pictures, photos, writings etc.). Recent Indian
incidents revolving around cyber pornography include the Air Force Bal bharati
School case. A student of the Air Force Bal bharati School, Delhi, was teased by
all his classmates for having a pockmarked face. Tired of the cruel jokes, he
decided to get back at history mentors. He scanned photographs of his classmates
and teachers, morphed them with nude photographs and put them up on a website
that he uploaded on to a free web hosting service. It was only after the father of
one of the class girls featured on the website objected and lodged a complaint with
the police that any action was taken.
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In another incident, in Mumbai a Swiss couple would gather slum children
and then would force them to appear for obscene photographs. They would then
upload these photographs to websites specially designed for pedophiles. The
Mumbai police arrested the couple for pornography.
1.7.2 Sale of illegal articles
This would include sale of narcotics, weapons and wildlife etc., by posting
information on websites, auction websites, and bulletin boards or 167 simply by
using email communication. E.g. many of the auction sites even in India are
believed to be selling cocaine in the name of 'honey'.
1.7.3 Online gambling There are millions of websites; all hosted on servers
abroad, that offer online gambling. In fact, it is believed that many of these
websites are actually fronts for money laundering.
1.7.4 Intellectual Property crimes
These include software piracy, copyright infringement, trademarks
violations, theft of computer source code etc.
1.7.5 Email spoofing A
spoofed email is one that appears to originate from one source but actually has
been sent from another source.
Email spoofing can also cause monetary damage. In an American case, a
teenager made millions of dollars by spreading false information about certain
companies whose shares he had short sold. This misinformation was spread by
sending spoofed emails, purportedly from news agencies like Reuters, to share
brokers and investors who were informed that the companies were doing very
badly. Even after the truth came out the values of the shares did not go back to the
earlier levels and thousands of investors lost a lot of money.
1.7.6 Forgery
Counterfeit currency notes, postage and revenue stamps, mark sheets etc.
can be forged using sophisticated computers, printers and scanners. Outside many
colleges across India, one finds touts soliciting the sale of fake mark sheets or even
certificates. These are made using computers, and high quality scanners and
printers. In fact, this has becoming a booming business involving thousands of
Rupees being given to student gangs in exchange for these bogus but authentic
looking certificates.
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1.7.7 Cyber Defamation
This occurs when defamation takes place with the help of computers and / or
the Internet. E.g. someone publishes defamatory matter about someone on a
website or sends e-mails containing defamatory information to all of that person's
friends.
In a recent occurrence, Surekha (names of people have been changed), a
young girl was about to be married to Suraj. She was really pleased because
despite it being an arranged marriage, she had liked the boy. He had seemed to be
open-minded and pleasant. Then, one day when she met Suraj, he looked worried
and even a little upset. He was not really interested in talking to her. When asked
he told her that, members of his family had been receiving e-mails that contained
malicious things about Surekha's character. Some of them spoke of affairs, which
she had had in the past. He told her that, his parents were justifiably very upset and
were also considering breaking off the engagement. Fortunately, Suraj was able to
prevail upon his parents and the other elders of his house to approach the police
instead of blindly believing what was contained in the mails.
During investigation, it was revealed that the person sending those e-mails
was none other than Surekha's stepfather. He had sent these e-mails so as to break
up the marriage. The girl's marriage would have caused him to lose control of her
property of which he was the guardian till she got married.
Another famous case of cyber defamation occurred in America. All friends
and relatives of a lady were beset with obscene e-mail messages appearing to
originate from her account. These mails were giving the lady in question a bad
name among her friends. The lady was an activist against pornography. In reality, a
group of people displeased with her views and angry with her for opposing they
had decided to get back at her by using such underhanded methods. In addition to
sending spoofed obscene e-mails they also put up websites about her, that basically
maligned her character and sent e-mails to her family and friends containing matter
defaming her.
1.7.8 Cyber stalking
The Oxford dictionary defines stalking as "pursuing stealthily". Cyber
stalking involves following a person's movements across the Internet by posting
messages (sometimes threatening) on the bulletin boards frequented by the victim,
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entering the chat-rooms frequented by the victim, constantly bombarding the
victim with emails etc.
1.8 Frequently Used Cyber Crimes8

Unauthorized access to computer systems or networks
This activity is commonly referred to as hacking. The Indian law has
however given a different connotation to the term hacking, so we will not use the
term "unauthorized access" interchangeably with the term "hacking".
Theft of information contained in electronic form This includes
information stored in computer hard disks, removable storage media etc.
Email bombing
Email bombing refers to sending a large number of emails to the victim
resulting in the victim's email account (in case of an individual) or mail servers (in
case of a company or an email service provider) crashing. In one case, a foreigner
who had been residing in Shimla, India for almost thirty years wanted to avail of a
scheme introduced by the Shimla Housing Board to buy land at lower rates. When
he made an application it was rejected on the grounds that the schemes were
available only for citizens of India. He decided to take his revenge. Consequently
he sent thousands of mails to the Shimla Housing Board and repeatedly kept
sending e-mails till their servers crashed.
Data diddling
This kind of an attack involves altering raw data just before it is processed by
a computer and then changing it back after the processing is completed. Electricity
Boards in India have been victims to data diddling programs inserted when private
parties were computerizing their systems.
Salami attacks
These attacks are used for the commission of financial crimes. The key here
is to make the alteration so insignificant that in a single case it would go
completely unnoticed. E.g. a bank employee inserts a program, into the bank's
servers, that deducts a small amount of money (say Rs. 5 a month) from the
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account of every customer. No account holder will probably notice this
unauthorized debit, but the bank employee will make a sizable amount of money
every month. To cite an example, an employee of a bank in USA was dismissed
from his job. Disgruntled at having been supposedly mistreated by his employers
the man first introduced a logic bomb into the bank's systems. Logic bombs are
programmes, which are activated on the occurrence of a particular predefined
event. The logic bomb was programmed to take ten cents from all the accounts in
the bank and put them into the account of the person whose name was
alphabetically the last in the bank's rosters. Then he went and opened an account in
the name of Ziegler. The amount being withdrawn from each of the accounts in the
bank was so insignificant that neither any of the account holders nor the bank
officials noticed the fault. It was brought to their notice when a person by the name
of Zygler opened his account in that bank. He was surprised to find a sizable
amount of money being transferred into his account every Saturday.
Denial of Service attack

This involves flooding a computer resource with more requests than it can
handle. This causes the resource (e.g. a web server) to crash thereby denying
authorized users the service offered by the resource. Another variation to a typical
denial of service attack is known as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack
wherein the perpetrators are many and are geographically widespread. It is very
difficult to control such attacks. The attack is initiated by sending excessive
demands to the victim's computer(s), exceeding the limit that the victim's servers
can support and making the servers‖ crash. Denial-of-service attacks have had an
impressive history having, in the past, brought down websites like Amazon, CNN,
Yahoo and eBay!
Virus / worm attacks

Viruses are programs that attach themselves to a computer or a file and then
circulate themselves to other files and to other computers on a network. They
usually affect the data on a computer, either by altering or deleting it. Worms,
unlike viruses do not need the host to attach themselves to. They merely make
functional copies of themselves and do this repeatedly till they eat up the entire
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available space on a computer's memory. The VBS_LOVELETTER virus (better
known as the Love Bug or the ILOVEYOU virus) was reportedly written by a
Filipino undergraduate. In May 2000, this deadly virus beat the Melissa virus
hollow - it became the world's most prevalent virus. It struck one in every five
personal computers in the world.
When the virus was brought under check the true magnitude of the losses
was incomprehensible. Losses incurred during this virus attack were pegged at US
$ 10billion.The original VBS_LOVELETTER utilized the addresses in Microsoft
Outlook and emailed itself to those addresses. The e-mail, which was sent out, had
"ILOVEYOU" in its subject line. The attachment file was named "LOVE-
LETTER-FORYOU. TXT.vbs". The subject line and those who had some
knowledge of viruses did not notice the tiny .vbs extension and believed the file to
be a text file conquered people wary of opening e-mail attachments. The message
in the e-mail was "kindly check the attached LOVELETTER coming from me".
Since, the initial outbreak over thirty variants of the virus have been
developed many of them following the original by just a few weeks. In addition,
the Love Bug also uses the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) for its propagation. It e-mails
itself to users in the same channel as the infected user. Unlike the Melissa virus
this virus does have a destructive effect. Whereas the Melissa, once installed,
merely inserts some text into the affected documents at a particular instant during
the day, VBS_LOVELETTER first selects certain files and then inserts its own
code in lieu of the original data contained in the file. This way it creates ever-
increasing versions of itself. Probably the world's most famous worm was the
Internet worm let loose on the Internet by Robert Morris sometime in 1988. The
Internet was, then, still in its developing years and this worm, which affected
thousands of computers, almost brought its development to a complete halt. It took
a team of experts almost three days to get rid of the worm and in the meantime
many of the computers had to be disconnected from the network.
Logic bombs
These are event dependent programs. This implies that these programs are
created to do something only when a certain event (known as a trigger event)
occurs. E.g. even some viruses may be termed logic bombs because they lie
dormant all through the year and become active only on a particular date (like the
Chernobyl virus).
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Trojan attacks
A Trojan as this program is aptly called is an unauthorized program which
functions from inside what seems to be an authorized program, thereby concealing
what it is actually doing.
There are many simple ways of installing a Trojan in someone's computer. To cite
and example, two friends Rahul and Mukesh (names changed), had a heated
argument over one girl, Radha (name changed) whom they both liked. When the
girl, asked to choose, chose Mukesh over Rahul, Rahul decided to get even. On
the14th of February, he sent Mukesh a spoofed e-card, which appeared to have
come from Radha's mail account. The e-card actually contained a Trojan. As soon
as Mukesh opened the card, the Trojan was installed on his computer. Rahul now
had complete control over Mukesh's computer and proceeded to harass him
thoroughly.
Internet time thefts
This connotes the usage by an unauthorized person of the Internet hours paid
for by another person. In a case reported before the enactment of the Information
Technology Act, 2000 Colonel Bajwa, a resident of New Delhi, asked a nearby net
café owner to come and set up his Internet connection. For this purpose, the net
café owner needed to know his username and password. After having set up the
connection he went away with knowing the present username and password. He
then sold this information to another net café. One week later Colonel Bajwa found
that his Internet hours were almost over. Out of the 100 hours that he had bought,
94hours had been used up within the span of that week. Surprised, he reported the
incident to the Delhi police. The police could not believe that time could be stolen.
They were not aware of the concept of time-theft at all. Colonel Bajwa's report was
rejected. He decided to approach The Times of India, New Delhi. They, in turn
carried a report about the inadequacy of the New Delhi Police in handling
cybercrimes. The Commissioner of Police, Delhi then took the case into his own
hands and the police under his directions raided and arrested the net café owner
under the charge of theft as defined by the Indian Penal Code. The net café owner
spent several weeks locked up in Tihar jail before being granted bail.
19
Web jacking
This occurs when someone forcefully takes control of a website (by cracking
the password and later changing it). The actual owner of the website does not have
any more control over what appears on that website. In a recent incident reported
in the USA the owner of a hobby website for children received an e-mail informing
her that a group of hackers had gained control over her website. They demanded a
ransom of 1 million dollars from her. The owner, a schoolteacher, did not take the
threat seriously. She felt that it was just a scare tactic and ignored the e-mail. It was
three days later that she came to know, following many telephone calls from all
over the country, that the hackers had web jacked her website. Subsequently, they
had altered a portion of the website which was entitled 'How to have fun with
goldfish'. In all the places where it had been mentioned, they had replaced the word
'goldfish' with the word 'piranhas'. Piranhas are tiny but extremely dangerous flesh-
eating fish.
Many children had visited the popular website and had believed what the contents
of the website suggested. These unfortunate children followed the instructions,
tried to play with piranhas, which they bought from pet shops, and were very
seriously injured.
Theft of computer system
This type of offence involves the theft of a computer, some part(s) of a
computer or peripheral attached to the computer.
Physically damaging a computer system
This crime is committed by physically damaging a computer or its
peripherals.9 Rehabilitation

The evolution of Information Technology (IT) gave birth to the cyber
space wherein internet provides equal opportunities to all the people to access any
information, data storage, analyze etc. with the use of high technology. Due to
increase in the number of netizens, misuse of technology in the cyberspace was
9
20
clutching up which gave birth to cybercrimes at the domestic and international
level as well.
1.10 Summary
The boundaries of cybercrimes, actually, are not so clear. For example, if someone
uses high-tech hacking into a computer or server, getting something valuable, it's
hard to say it must be a "theft" in tool cybercrime or a "hacking" in target
cybercrime. So why do we still categorize cybercrime? I think we can analyze
cybercrime better and more efficiently by this way. Although there are some
intersections, with categorization, we will focus on each part of cybercrime
respectively and then have a comprehensive concept finally.
1.11 References
1) A Survey of Cybercrime by Zhicheng Yang; retrieved from
http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cse571-11/ftp/crime/
2) Security, Prevention and Detection of Cyber Crimes by Asherry Magalla,
Tumaini University Iringa University College; retrieved from
http://www.academia.edu/3471542/THE_INTRODUCTION_TO_CYBERCRIME
_SECURITY_PREVENTION_AND_DETECTION_OF_CYBERCRIME_IN_TA
NZANIA
3) Introduction to Indian Cyber Law by Rohas Nagpal, Asian School of Cyber
Law; retrieved from
4) Introduction to Cybercrime (.pdf); retrieved from
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UuufsIlO0FQJ:wsilfi.staff
.gunadarma.ac.id/Downloads/files/13309/W03-
Cyber%2Bcrime.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=in

1. Cyber Law is the law governing ________________.
2. Cybercrimes are ____________ acts where the computer is used either as a
_____________or both.
21
3. Electronic signatures are used to authenticate________________.
4. CRAT refers to ________________________________________.
5. _________________________ are one type of electronic signature.
6. Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) which came into force on
________________.

1. Cyber space
2. Unlawful/ tool or a target
3. Electronic records
4. Cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal
5. Digital signatures
6. 17 October 2000

1) Why there is a need for cyber law? Explain in detail.
2) Discuss cyber pornography with example.
3) Explain 5 types of cybercrime that are done frequently in digital world?
4) What do you mean by cybercrime? Discuss.
22
Unit-2
Distinction between Cyber Crimes and
Conventional Crimes
Objectives:
 What is Cyber Crimes and Conventional Crimes
 The Distinction between Conventional & Cyber Crime
 Classification of Cyber Crime
 Misuse of technology in cyber crime
 Provisions Information Technology Act in Protection of Cyber crime
Structure :
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Conventional Crime
2.3 Cyber Crime
2.4 Distinction between Conventional & Cyber Crime
2.5 Reasons for Cyber crimes
2.6 Cyber Criminals
2.7 Mode and Methods of Cyber Crimes
2.8 Motive behind any Attack
2.9 Classification of Cyber Crime
2.10 Information Technology Act
2.11 Relevant Crimes other than IT Act Rehabilitation
2.12 Misuse of technology in cyber crime
2.13 Summary
2.14 References
23
2.1 Introduction :
Cybercrime is a kind of crime that happens in "cyberspace", that is,
happens in the world of computer and the Internet. Although many people have a
limited knowledge of "cybercrime", this kind of crime has the serious potential for
severe impact on our lives and society, because our society is becoming an
information society, full of information exchange happening in "cyberspace".
Thus, it is necessary to introduce cybercrime detailed. While there are several
textbooks talking about cybercrime, but focusing on the statutes and laws relevant
this new breed of crime, few papers or textbooks focus on the "computer science"
itself. In other words, most of materials talk about the "crime" of "cybercrime", but
this paper will talk more about "cyber".10
The term ―cybercrime‖ is a misnomer. This term has nowhere been
defined in any statute /Act passed or enacted by the Indian Parliament. The concept
of cybercrime is not radically different from the concept of conventional crime.
Both include conduct whether act or omission, which cause breach of rules of law
and counterbalanced by the sanction of the state.
Before evaluating the concept of cybercrime it is obvious that the concept of
conventional crime be discussed and the points of similarity and deviance between
both these forms may be discussed.11
The history of cybercrime is short compared with traditional crimes.
The first published report of cybercrime occurred in the 1960s, when computers
were large mainframe systems. Since mainframes were not connected with other
ones and only few people can access them, the cybercrimes were always "insider"
cybercrimes, which means employment allowed them to access into mainframe
computers. Actually, in the 1960s and 1970s, the cybercrime, which was
"computer crime" in fact, was different from the cybercrime we faced with today,
because of no Internet in that era.
At the same time, the cybercrime was not only restricted in target
cybercrime, but expanded into tool cybercrime and computer incidental. This
process is similar to the process of learning one language. In childhood, we learn
10
A Survey of Cybercrime by Zhicheng Yang, retrieved from http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cse571-11/ftp/crime/
11
Cyber Crime by Parthasarathi Pati, retrieved from http://www.naavi.org/pati/pati_cybercrimes_dec03.htm
24
language itself; then, when we grow up and are good at it, we will use it to
communicate with each other but itself is not a prime element. In general, current
consensus on the classification of cybercrime is to divide it into three categories
that are said in the first paragraph above. We can set another analogy: target
cybercrime is like crossword, which focuses on the magic of language itself; tool
cybercrime is similar to fraud or harassment on street or in other face-to-face ways,
but the place in which tool cybercrime happens is not physical environment but
cyberspace; computer incidental including some electronic proof is saved in
computer or the camera captures the criminal withdrawing money in a bank.
Generally, these three categories are elaborated in the three following sections and
in each section some latest cases will be studied.12
2.2 Conventional Crime13

Crime is a social and economic phenomenon and is as old as the human
society. Crime is a legal concept and has the sanction of the law. Crime or an
offence is ‗a legal wrong that can be followed by criminal proceedings which may
result into punishment.‘ The hallmark of criminality is that, it is breach of the
criminal law. Per Lord Atkin ‗the criminal quality of an act cannot be discovered
by reference to any standard but one: is the act prohibited with penal
consequences‘.
A crime may be said to be any conduct accompanied by act or omission
prohibited by law and consequential breach of which is visited by penal
consequences.
2.3 Cyber Crime14

Cybercrime is the latest and perhaps the most complicated problem in the
cyber world. ‗Cybercrime may be said to be those species, of which, genus is the
conventional crime, and where either the computer is an object or subject of the
conduct constituting crime‘. ‗Any criminal activity that uses a computer either as
12
A Survey of Cybercrime by Zhicheng Yang, retrieved from http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cse571-11/ftp/crime/
13
14
25
an instrumentality, target or a means for perpetuating further crimes comes within
the ambit of cybercrime‘
A generalized definition of cybercrime may be ‗ unlawful acts wherein the
computer is either a tool or target or both‘ The computer may be used as a tool in
the following kinds of activity- financial crimes, sale of illegal articles,
pornography, online gambling, intellectual property crime, e-mail spoofing,
forgery, cyber defamation, cyber stalking. The computer may however be target
for unlawful acts in the following cases- unauthorized access to computer/
computer system/ computer networks, theft of information contained in the
electronic form, e-mail bombing, data didling, salami attacks, logic bombs, Trojan
attacks, internet time thefts, web jacking, theft of computer system, physically
damaging the computer system.
2.4 Distinction between Conventional & Cyber Crime15

There is apparently no distinction between cyber and conventional
crime. However on a deep introspection we may say that there exist a fine line of
demarcation between the conventional and cybercrime, which is appreciable. The
demarcation lies in the involvement of the medium in cases of cybercrime.
The sine qua non for cybercrime is that there should be an involvement, at any
stage, of the virtual cyber medium.
2.5 Reasons for Cyber Crime16

Hart in his work ‗The Concept of Law‘ has said ―human beings are
vulnerable so rule of law is required to protect them‖. Applying this to the
cyberspace we may say that computers are vulnerable so rule of law is required to
protect and safeguard them against cybercrime. The reasons for the vulnerability of
computers may be said to be:
1. Capacity to store data in comparatively small space: The computer has
unique characteristic of storing data in a very small space. This affords to remove
or derive information either through physical or virtual medium makes it much
easier.
15
16
26
2. Easy to access : The problem encountered in guarding a computer system
from unauthorized access is that there is every possibility of breach not due to
human error but due to the complex technology. By secretly implanted logic bomb,
key loggers that can steal access codes, advanced voice recorders; retina imagers
etc. that can fool biometric systems and bypass firewalls can be utilized to get past
many a security system.
3. Complex : The computers work on operating systems and these operating
systems in turn are composed of millions of codes. Human mind is fallible and it is
not possible that there might not be a lapse at any stage. The cyber criminals take
advantage of these lacunas and penetrate into the computer system.
4. Negligence : Negligence is very closely connected with human conduct. It is
therefore very probable that while protecting the computer system there might be
any negligence, which in turn provides a cybercriminal to gain access and control
over the computer system.
5. Loss of evidence : Loss of evidence is a very common & obvious problem as
all the data are routinely destroyed. Further collection of data outside the territorial
extent also paralyzes this system of crime investigation.
2.6 Cyber Criminals17

The cyber criminals constitute of various groups/ category. This
division may be justified on the basis of the object that they have in their mind.
The following are the category of cyber criminals-
1. Children and adolescents between the age group of 6 – 18 years
The simple reason for this type of delinquent behavior pattern in children is seen
mostly due to the inquisitiveness to know and explore the things. Other cognate
reason may be to prove themselves to be outstanding amongst other children in
their group. Further the reasons may be psychological even. E.g. the Bal
Bharati (Delhi) case was the outcome of harassment of the delinquent by his
friends.
2. Organised hackers
These kinds of hackers are mostly organised together to fulfil certain objective.
The reason may be to fulfil their political bias, fundamentalism, etc. The Pakistanis
17
27
are said to be one of the best quality hackers in the world. They mainly target the
Indian government sites with the purpose to fulfil their political objectives. Further
the NASA as well as the Microsoft sites is always under attack by the hackers.
3. Professional hackers / crackers
Their work is motivated by the colour of money. These kinds of hackers are mostly
employed to hack the site of the rivals and get credible, reliable and valuable
information. Further they are even employed to crack the system of the employer
basically as a measure to make it safer by detecting the loopholes.
4. Discontented employees : This group include those people who have been
either sacked by their employer or are dissatisfied with their employer. To avenge
they normally hack the system of their employee.
2.7 Mode and Methods of Committing Cyber Crimes18

1. Unauthorized access to computer systems or networks / Hacking
This kind of offence is normally referred as hacking in the generic sense. However
the framers of the Information Technology Act, 2000 have nowhere used this term
so to avoid any confusion we would not interchangeably use the word hacking for
―unauthorized access‖ as the latter has wide connotation.
2. Theft of information contained in electronic form : This includes
information stored in computer hard disks, removable storage media etc. Theft
may be either by appropriating the data physically or by tampering them through
the virtual medium.
3. Email bombing : This kind of activity refers to sending large numbers of
mail to the victim, which may be an individual or a company or even mail servers
there by ultimately resulting into crashing.
4. Data diddling : This kind of an attack involves altering raw data just before
a computer processes it and then changing it back after the processing is
completed. The electricity board faced similar problem of data diddling while the
department was being computerized.
5. Salami attacks : This kind of crime is normally prevalent in the financial
institutions or for the purpose of committing financial crimes. An important feature
of this type of offence is that the alteration is so small that it would normally go
18
28
unnoticed. E.g. The Ziegler case, where a logic bomb was introduced in the bank
system, which deducted 10 cents from every account and deposited it in a
particular account.
6. Denial of Service attack : The computer of the victim is flooded with more
requests than it can handle which cause it to crash. Distributed Denial of Service
(DDoS) attack is also a type of denial of service attack, in which the offenders are
wide in number and widespread. E.g. Amazon, Yahoo.
7. Virus / worm attacks : Viruses are programs that attach themselves to a
computer or a file and then circulate themselves to other files and to other
computers on a network. They usually affect the data on a computer, either by
altering or deleting it. Worms, unlike viruses do not need the host to attach
themselves to. They merely make functional copies of themselves and do this
repeatedly till they eat up all the available space on a computer's memory. E.g. love
bug virus, which affected at least 5 % of the computers of the globe. The losses
were accounted to be $ 10 million. The world's most famous worm was the Internet
worm let loose on the Internet by Robert Morris sometime in 1988.
8. Logic bombs : These are event dependent programs. This implies that these
programs are created to do something only when a certain event (known as a
trigger event) occurs. E.g. even some viruses may be termed logic bombs because
they lie dormant all through the year and become active only on a particular date
(like the Chernobyl virus).
9. Trojan attacks : This term has its origin in the word ―Trojan horse‖. In
software field this means an unauthorized programme, which passively gains
control over another‖s system by representing itself as an authorized programme.
The most common form of installing a Trojan is through e-mail. E.g. a Trojan was
installed in the computer of a lady film director in the U.S. while chatting. The
cybercriminal through the web cam installed in the computer obtained her nude
photographs. He further harassed this lady.
10. Internet time thefts : Normally in these kinds of thefts the Internet surfing
hours of the victim are used up by another person. This is done by gaining access
to the login ID and the password. E.g. Colonel Bajwa‖s case- the Internet hours
were used up by any other person. This was perhaps one of the first reported cases
related to cybercrime in India. However this case made the police infamous as to
their lack of understanding of the nature of cybercrime.
29
11. Web jacking : This term is derived from the term hi jacking. In these kinds of
offences the hacker gains access and control over the web site of another. He may
even mutilate or change the information on the site. This may be done for fulfilling
political objectives or for money. E.g. recently the site of MIT (Ministry of
Information Technology) was hacked by the Pakistani hackers and some obscene
matter was placed therein. Further the site of Bombay crime branch was also web
jacked. Another case of web jacking is that of the ―gold fish‖ case. In this case the
site was hacked and the information pertaining to gold fish was changed. Further a
ransom of US $ 1 million was demanded a ransom. Thus web jacking is a process
whereby control over the site of another is made backed by some consideration for
it.
2.7 Motive behind any Attack19

1. Putting the public or any section of the public in fear; or
2. Affecting adversely the harmony between different religious, racial,
language or regional groups or castes or communities; or
3. Coercing or overawing the government established by law; or
4. Endangering the sovereignty and integrity of the nation.
2.8 Classification of Cyber Crime20

The subject of cybercrime may be broadly classified under the following
three groups. They are:
1. Against Individuals
a) Their person &
b) Their property of an individual
2. Against Organization
a) Government
b) Firm, Company, Group of Individuals.
3. Against Society at large
19
India: Cyber Crimes “an unlawful act where in the computer is either a tool or a target or both”- In Indian Legal Perspective,
by Rajkumar Dubey, retrieved from
http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/28603/technology/Cyber+Crimes+an+unlawful+act+where+in+the+computer+is+either+a+too
l+or+a+target+or+both
20
30
The following are the crimes, which can be committed against the following
groups
Against Individuals:
i. Harassment via e-mails.
ii. Cyber-stalking.
iii. Dissemination of obscene material.
iv. Defamation.
v. Unauthorized control/access over computer system.
vi. Indecent exposure
vii. Email spoofing
viii. Cheating & Fraud
Against Individual Property:
i. Computer vandalism.
ii. Transmitting virus.
iii. Unauthorized control/access over computer system.
iv. Intellectual Property crimes
v. Internet time thefts
Against Organization:
i. Unauthorized control/access over computer system
ii. Possession of unauthorized information.
iii. Cyber terrorism against the government organization.
iv. Distribution of pirated software etc.
Against Society at large:
i. Pornography (basically child pornography).
ii. Polluting the youth through indecent exposure.
iii. Trafficking
iv. Financial crimes
v. Sale of illegal articles
vi. Online gambling
vii. Forgery
2.9 Information Technology Act
31
The Information Technology Act deals with the following cybercrimes along
with others.
Tampering with computer source documents.
A person who knowingly or intentionally, conceals (hides or keeps secret),
destroys (demolishes or reduces), alters (change in characteristics) or causes
another to conceal, destroy, and alter any computer source code used for a
computer, computer program, computer system or computer network, when the
computer source code is required to be kept or maintained by law is punishable.
For instance, hiding the C.D.ROM in which the source code files are stored,
making a C File into a CPP File or removing the read only attributes of a file.
Hacking is usually understood to be the unauthorized access of a computer system
and networks. Originally, the term "hacker" describes any amateur computer
programmer who discovered ways to make software run more efficiently. Hackers
usually "hack" on a problem until they find a solution, and keep trying to make
their equipment work in new and more efficient ways. A hacker can be a Code
Hacker, Cracker or a Cyber Punk.
Whoever with the intent to cause or knowing that he is likely to cause
wrongful loss or damage to the public or any person destroys or deletes or alters
any information residing in a computer resource or diminishes its value or utility or
affects it injuriously by means is said to commit hacking.
Publishing obscene material in electronic form
A person who publishes or transmits or causes to be published in the
electronic form, any material which is lascivious, or if its effect is such as to tend
to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely to read, see or hear the matter
contained or embodied in it, is liable to punishment. The important ingredients of
such an offence are publishing (make generally known or issue copies for sale to
public), or transmitting (transfer or be a medium for), or causing to be published
(to produce the effect of publishing), pornographic material in the electronic form.
Child Pornography
Child Pornography is a part of cyber pornography but it is such a grave
offence that it is individually also recognized as a cybercrime. The Internet is being
highly used by its abusers to reach and abuse children sexually, worldwide. The
Internet is very fast becoming a household commodity in India. Its explosion has
32
made the children a viable victim to the cybercrime. As more homes have access to
Internet, more children would be using the Internet and more are the chances of
falling victim to the aggression of pedophiles. The pedophiles use their false
identity to trap children and even contact them in various chat rooms where they
befriend them and gain personal information from the innocent preys. They even
start contacting children on their e-mail addresses. These pedophiles drag children
to the net for the purpose of sexual assault or so as to use them as a sex object.
Accessing protected system
Any unauthorized person who secures access or attempts to secure access to
a protected system is liable to be punished with imprisonment and may also be
liable to fine.
Breach of confidentiality and privacy
Any person who, secures access to any electronic record, book, register,
correspondence, information, document or other material without the consent of
the person concerned or discloses such electronic record, book, register,
correspondence, information, document or other material to any other person shall
be liable to be punished under the Information Technology Act.
2.10 Relevant Cyber Crimes other than IT Act, 2000

Cybercrimes other than those mentioned under the IT Act21
Cyber Stalking
Although there is no universally accepted definition of cyber stalking, it is
generally defined as the repeated acts of harassment or threatening behavior of the
cybercriminal towards the victim by using Internet services. Stalking in general
terms can be referred to as the repeated acts of harassment targeting the victim
such as following the victim, making harassing phone calls, killing the victims pet,
vandalizing victims property, leaving written messages or objects. Stalking may be
followed by serious violent acts such as physical harms to the victim. It all depends
on the course of conduct of the stalker.
Cyber squatting
21
India: Cyber Crimes “an unlawful act where in the computer is either a tool or a target or both”- In Indian Legal Perspective,
by Rajkumar Dubey, retrieved from
http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/28603/technology/Cyber+Crimes+an+unlawful+act+where+in+the+computer+is+either+a+too
l+or+a+target+or+both
33
Cyber squatting is the obtaining of a domain name in order to seek
payment from the owner of the trademark, (including business name, trade name,
or brand name), and may include typo squatting (where one letter is different).
A trademark owner can prevail in a cyber squatting action by showing that
the defendant, in bad faith and with intent to profit, registered a domain name
consisting of the plaintiff's distinctive trademark. Factors to determine whether bad
faith exists are the extent to which the domain name contains the registrant's legal
name, prior use of the domain name in connection with the sale of goods and
services, intent to divert customers from one site to another and use of false
registration information and the registrant's offer to sell the domain name back to
the trademark owner for more than out-of -pocket expenses.
Data Diddling
This kind of an attack involves altering the raw data just before a
computer processes it and then changing it back after the processing is completed.
The NDMC Electricity Billing Fraud Case that took place in 1996 is a
typical example. The computer network was used for receipt and accounting of
electricity bills by the NDMC, Delhi. Collection of money, computerized
accounting, record maintenance and remittance in the bank were exclusively left to
a private contractor who was a computer professional. He misappropriated huge
amount of funds by manipulating data files to show less receipts and bank
remittances.
Cyber Defamation
Any derogatory statement, which is designed to injure a person's
business or reputation, constitutes cyber defamation. Defamation can be
accomplished as libel or slander. Cyber defamation occurs when defamation takes
place with the help of computers and / or the Internet. E.g. someone publishes
defamatory matter about someone on a website or sends e-mails containing
defamatory information to all of that person‖s friends.
Trojan Attack
A Trojan, the program is aptly called an unauthorized program which
functions from inside what seems to be an authorized program, thereby concealing
what it is actually doing.
Forgery
34
Counterfeit currency notes, postage and revenue stamps, mark sheets
etc. can be forged using sophisticated computers, printers and scanners. It is very
difficult to control such attacks. For e.g. across the country students buy forged
mark sheets for heavy sums to deposit in college.
Financial Crimes
This would include cheating, credit card frauds, money laundering etc.
such crimes are punishable under both IPC and IT Act. A leading Bank in India
was cheated to the extent of 1.39 crores due to misappropriation of funds by
manipulation of computer records regarding debit and credit accounts.
Internet Time Theft

This con notes the usage by an unauthorized person of the Internet
hours paid for by another person. This kind of cybercrime was unheard until the
victim reported it. This offence is usually covered under IPC and the Indian
Telegraph Act.
Virus/Worms Attack
Virus is a program that attaches itself to a computer or a file and then
circulates to other files and to other computers on a network. They usually affect
the data on a computer, either by altering or deleting it. Worms, unlike viruses do
not need the host to attach themselves to. They merely make functional copies of
themselves and do this repeatedly till they eat up all the available space on
a computer's memory.
E-mail spoofing
It is a kind of e-mail that appears to originate from one source although
it has actually been sent from another source. Such kind of crime can be done for
reasons like defaming a person or for monetary gain etc. E.g. if A sends email to
B‖s friend containing ill about him by spoofing B‖s email address, this could result
in ending of relations between B and his friends.
Email bombing
Email bombing means sending large amount of mails to the victims as
a result of which their account or mail server crashes. The victims of email
bombing can vary from individuals to companies and even the email service
provider.
35
Salami attack
This is basically related to finance and therefore the main victims of
this crime are the financial institutions. This attack has a unique quality that the
alteration is so insignificant that in a single case it would go completely unnoticed.
E.g. a bank employee inserts a programme whereby a meager sum of Rs 3 is
deducted from customers account. Such a small amount will not be noticeable at
all.
Web Jacking
This term has been taken from the word hijacking. Once a website is web jacked
the owner of the site loses all control over it. The person gaining such kind of an
access is called a hacker who may even alter or destroy any information on the site.
Rehabilitation
2.11 Misuse of technology in the form of cyber crime

The following offences are defined by the Convention: illegal access, illegal
interception, data interference, system interference, misuse of devices, computer-
related forgery, computer-related fraud, offences related to child pornography, and
offences related to copyright and neighboring rights. It also sets out such
procedural law issues as expedited preservation of stored data, expedited
preservation and partial disclosure of traffic data, production order, search and
seizure of computer data, real-time collection of traffic data, and interception of
content data.
2.12 Summary
In following decades, the increasing of computer network and personal computers
transformed "computer crime" into real cybercrime. Since Internet was invented,
people began to exchange information based on networks of computers, also keep
data in computer rather than paper. At the same time, the cybercrime was not only
restricted in target cybercrime, but expanded into tool cybercrime and computer
incidental.
36
2.13 References
1. A Survey of Cybercrime by Zhicheng Yang, retrieved from
http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~jain/cse571-11/ftp/crime/
2. Cyber Crime by Parthasarathi Pati, retrieved from
http://www.naavi.org/pati/pati_cybercrimes_dec03.htm
3. India: Cyber Crimes ‗an unlawful act where in the computer is either a tool
or a target or both‘- In Indian Legal Perspective, by Rajkumar Dubey, retrieved
from
http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/28603/technology/Cyber+Crimes+an+unlawful+a
ct+where+in+the+computer+is+either+a+tool+or+a+target+or+both
1. ___________________ is a kind of offence which is normally referred as
hacking in the generic sense.
2. _______________ are event dependent programs.
3. _______________ is derived from the term hi jacking.
4. _______________ use their false identity to trap children and even contact
them in various chat rooms where they befriend them and gain personal
information from the innocent preys.
5. The term _______________ describes any amateur computer programmer
who discovered ways to make software run more efficiently.
1. Unauthorized access
2. Logic bombs
3. Web jacking
4. Paedophiles
5. Hacker
2.16 Terminal Questions

1. Discuss the character of cyber criminals.
2. What do you understand by conventional and cybercrime? Explain in detail.
3. Describe some relevant crimes which are not discussed in IT Act, 2000.
4. What are the motives behind cybercrime?
37
Unit-3
Types of Cyber crimes
__________________________________________________________________
Objectives:
 What are the Categories of Cyber Crimes
 The Distinction between Individual, Property, Government Cyber Crime
 Kinds of Cyber Crime
 How to Tackle Cyber Crime
Structure
_____________________________________________________
Cyber Crime in Modern Society
3.1 Categories of Cyber Crime
3.1.1 Individual
3.1.2 Property
3.1.3 Government
3.2 Kinds of Cyber Crimes
1. Unauthorized Access and Hacking
2. Web Hijacking
3. Pornography
4. Child Pornography
5. Cyber Stalking
6. Denial of Service Attack
7. Virus Attack
8. Software Piracy
9. Salami Attack
10. Phishing
11. Sale of Illegal Articles
12. Online Gambling
13. E-Mail Spoofing
38
14. Cyber Defamation
15. Forgery
16. Theft of Information Contained in Electronic Form
17. Email Bombing
18. Internet Time Theft
19. Theft of Computer System
20. Physically Damaging a Computer System
21. Data Diddling
22. E-Commerce/ Investment Frauds
23. Cyber Terrorism
3.3 How to Tackle Cyber Crime
3.4 Major Threats of Cyber Crime in the Current Scenario
3.5 Impact of Cyber Crime on Businesses
3.6 Cyber Laws
3.7 Prevention of Cyber Crime
3.8 Misuse of Technology
3.9 Summary
3.10 References
3.1 Cyber Crime in Modern Society

Today, criminals that indulge in cybercrimes are not driven by ego or expertise.
Instead, they want to use their knowledge to gain benefits quickly. They are using
their expertise to steal, deceive and exploit people as they find it easy to earn
money without having to do an honest day‖s work.
Cybercrimes have become a real threat today and are quite different from old-
school crimes, such as robbing, mugging or stealing. Unlike these crimes,
cybercrimes can be committed single handedly and does not require the physical
presence of the criminals. The crimes can be committed from a remote location
and the criminals need not worry about the law enforcement agencies in the
country where they are committing crimes. The same systems that have made it
39
easier for people to conduct e-commerce and online transactions are now being
exploited by cyber criminals.
3.2 Categories of Cyber Crime

Cybercrimes are broadly categorized into three categories, namely crime against
1. Individual
2. Property
3. Government
Each category can use a variety of methods and the methods used vary from one
criminal to another.
3.2.1 Individual: This type of cybercrime can be in the form of cyber stalking,
distributing pornography, trafficking and ‗grooming‘. Today, law enforcement
agencies are taking this category of cybercrime very seriously and are joining
forces internationally to reach and arrest the perpetrators.
3.2.2 Property: Just like in the real world where a criminal can steal and rob,
even in the cyber world criminals resort to stealing and robbing. In this case, they
can steal a person‖s bank details and siphon off money; misuse the credit card to
make numerous purchases online; run a scam to get naïve people to part with their
hard earned money; use malicious software to gain access to an organization‖s
website or disrupt the systems of the organization. The malicious software can also
damage software and hardware, just like vandals damage property in the offline
world.
3.2.3 Government: Although not as common as the other two categories, crimes
against a government are referred to as cyber terrorism. If successful, this category
can wreak havoc and cause panic amongst the civilian population. In this category,
criminals hack government websites, military websites or circulate propaganda.
The perpetrators can be terrorist outfits or unfriendly governments of other
nations.22
22
Cross Domain Solutions: Ensuring Complete Data Security; retrieved from http://www.crossdomainsolutions.com/cyber-
crime/
40
3.3 Different Kinds of Cyber Crime23
The different kinds of cybercrimes are:
1. Unauthorized Access and Hacking: Unauthorized access means any kind
of access without the permission of either of the rightful or person in charge of the
computer, computer system or computer network. Hacking means an illegal
intrusion into a computer system and/or network. Every act committed towards
breaking into a computer and/or network is hacking. Hackers write or use ready-
made computer programs to attack the target computer. They possess the desire to
destruct and they get the kick out of such destruction. Some hackers hack for
personal monetary gains, such as to stealing the credit card information,
transferring money from various bank accounts to their own account followed by
withdrawal of money. Government websites are the most targeted sites for the
hackers.24
A hacker is an unauthorized user who attempts to or gains access to an information
system. Hacking is a crime even if there is no visible damage to the system, since it
is an invasion in to the privacy of data. There are different classes of Hackers.
a) White Hat Hackers- They believes that information sharing is good, and that
it is their duty to share their expertise by facilitating access to information.
However there are some white hat hackers who are just ‗joy riding" on computer
systems.
b) Black Hat Hackers- They cause damage after intrusion. They may steal or
modify data or insert viruses or worms which damage the system. They are also
called ―crackers‖.
c) Grey Hat Hackers- Typically ethical but occasionally violates hacker ethics
Hackers will hack into networks, stand-alone computers and software. Network
hackers try to gain unauthorized access to private computer networks just for
challenge, curiosity, and distribution of information. Crackers perform
unauthorized intrusion with damage like stealing or changing of information or
inserting malware (viruses or worms)25.
2. Web Hijacking
23
Helpline Law: Legal Solutions Worldwide; retrieved from http://www.helplinelaw.com/employment-criminal-and-
labour/CCII/cyber-crimes-in-india.html
24
25
Cyber Crimes: Law and Practice; retrieved from http://www.img.kerala.gov.in/docs/downloads/cyber%20crimes.pdf
41
Web hijacking means taking forceful control of website of others. In this case the
owner of the website loses control over his website and its content.
3. Pornography
Pornography means showing sexual acts in order to cause sexual excitement. The
definition of pornography also includes pornographic websites, pornographic
magazines produced using computer and the internet pornography delivered over
mobile phones.
4. Child Pornography
The Internet is being highly used as a medium to sexually abuse children. The
children are viable victim to the cybercrime. Computers and internet having
become a necessity of every household, the children have got an easy access to the
internet. There is an easy access to the pornographic contents on the internet.
Pedophiles lure the children by distributing pornographic material and then they try
to meet them for sex or to take their nude photographs including their engagement
in sexual positions. Sometimes pedophiles contact children in the chat rooms
posing as teenagers or a child of similar age and then they start becoming friendlier
with them and win their confidence. Then slowly pedophiles start sexual chat to
help children shed their inhibitions about sex and then call them out for personal
interaction. Then starts actual exploitation of the children by offering them some
money or falsely promising them good opportunities in life. The pedophiles then
sexually exploit the children either by using them as sexual objects or by taking
their pornographic pictures in order to sell those over the internet.
How do they operate?
a) Pedophiles use false identity to trap the children/teenagers
b) Pedophiles contact children/teens in various chat rooms which are used by
children/teen to interact with other children/teen.
c) Befriend the child/teen.
d) Extract personal information from the child/teen by winning his confidence.
e) Gets the e-mail address of the child/teen and starts making contacts on the
victims e-mail address?
f) Starts sending pornographic images/text to the victim including child
pornographic images in order to help child/teen shed his inhibitions so that a
feeling is created in the mind of the victim that what is being fed to him are normal
and that everybody does it.
42
g) Extract personal information from child/teen.
h) At the end of it, the pedophiles set up a meeting with the child/teen out of the
house and then drag him into the net to further sexually assault him or to use him
as a sex object.
1. Cyber Stalking
In general terms, stalking can be termed as the repeated acts of harassment
targeting the victim such as following the victim, making harassing phone calls,
killing the victims pet, vandalizing victims property, leaving written messages or
objects. Stalking may be followed by serious violent acts such as physical harm to
the victim. Cyber stalking means repeated acts of harassment or threatening
behavior of the cybercriminal towards the victim by using internet services. Both
kinds of stalkers i.e., Online & Offline have desire to control the victims life.
How do Cyber Stalkers operate?
a) They collect all personal information about the victim such as name, family
background, telephone numbers of residence and work place, daily routine of the
victim, address of residence and place of work, date of birth etc. If the stalker is
one of the acquaintances of the victim he can easily get this information. If stalker
is a stranger to victim, he collects the information from the internet resources such
as various profiles, the victim may have filled in while opening the chat or e-mail
account or while signing an account with some website.
b) The stalker may post this information on any website related to sex-services
or dating services, posing as if the victim is posting this information and invite the
people to call the victim on her telephone numbers to have sexual services. Stalker
even uses very filthy and obscene language to invite the interested persons.
c) People of all kind from nook and corner of the World, who come across this
information, start calling the victim at her residence and/or work place, asking for
sexual services or relationships.
d) Some stalkers subscribe the e-mail account of the victim to innumerable
pornographic and sex sites, because of which victim starts receiving such kind of
unsolicited e-mails.
e) Some stalkers keep on sending repeated e-mails asking for various kinds of
favors or threaten the victim.
f) In online stalking the stalker can make third party to harass the victim.
43
g) Follow their victim from board to board. They hangout on the same as their
victim, many times posting notes to the victim, making sure the victim is aware
that he/she is being followed. Many times they will flame their victim (becoming
argumentative, insulting) to get their attention.
h) Stalkers will almost always make contact with their victims through email.
The letters may be loving, threatening, or sexually explicit. He will many times use
multiple names when contacting the victim.
i) Contact victim via telephone. If the stalker is able to access the victim
telephone, he will many times make calls to the victim to threaten, harass, or
intimidate them.
j) Track the victim to his/her home.
2. Denial of service Attack

This is an attack in which the criminal floods the bandwidth of the victim network
or fills his e-mail box with spam mail depriving him of the services he is entitled to
access or provide. This kind of attack is designed to bring the network to crash by
flooding it with useless traffic. Another variation to a typical denial of service
attack is known as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack wherein the
perpetrators are many and are geographically widespread. Many DoS attacks, such
as the Ping of Death and Teardrop attacks, exploit limitations in the TCP/IP
protocols. For all known DoS attacks, there are software fixes that system
administrators can install to limit the damage caused by the attacks. But, like
Virus, new DoS attacks are constantly being dreamed up by Hacker.
3. Virus Attacks
Viruses are the programs that have the capability to infect other programs and
make copies of it and spread into other program. Programs that multiply like
viruses but spread from computer to computer are called as worms. These are
malicious software that attaches them to other software. Virus, worms, Trojan
horse, Time bomb, Logic Bomb, Rabbit and Bacterium are the malicious. Viruses
usually affect the data on a computer, either by altering or deleting it. On the other
hand worms merely make functional copies of them and do this repeatedly till they
eat up all the available.
Trojan horse is a program that acts like something useful but do the things that are
quiet damping. Trojans come in two parts, a Client part and a Server part. When
44
the victim (unknowingly) runs the server on its machine, the attacker will then use
the Client to connect to the Server and start using the Trojan. TCP/IP protocol is
the usual protocol type used for communications, but some functions of the
Trojans use the UDP protocol as well.
4. Software Piracy
Software piracy refers to the illegal copying of genuine programs or the
counterfeiting and distribution of products intended to pass for the original. These
kind of crimes also include copyright infringement, trademarks violations, theft of
computer source code, patent violations etc.
Domain names are also trademarks and protected by ICANN domain dispute
resolution policy and also under trademark laws. Cyber squatters register domain
name identical to popular service provider name so as to attract their users and get
benefit from them.
5. Salami Attacks
These attacks are used for the commission of financial crimes. The key here is to
make the alteration so insignificant that in a single case it would go completely
unnoticed. E.g. a bank employee inserts a program, into the bank servers, that
deducts a small amount of money (say Rs. 5 a month) from the account of every
customer. No account holder will probably notice this unauthorized debit, but the
bank employee will make a sizable amount of money every month.
6. Phishing
Phishing is the act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an
established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering
private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user
to visit a web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as
passwords and credit card, social security, and bank account numbers that the
legitimate organization already has. The Web site, however, is bogus and set up
only to steal the user information. By spamming large groups of people, the
phisher counted on the e-mail being read by a percentage of people who actually
had listed credit card numbers with legitimately.
7. Sale of illegal articles
This category of cybercrimes includes sale of narcotics, weapons and wildlife etc.,
by posting information on websites, auction websites, and bulletin boards or
simply by using email communication.
45
8. Online gambling
There are millions of websites; all hosted on servers abroad, that offer online
gambling. In fact, it is believed that many of these websites are actually fronts for
money laundering. Cases of hawala transactions and money laundering over the
Internet have been reported.26
9. Email spoofing27 : E-mail spoofing is e-mail activity in which the sender
addresses and other parts of the e-mail header are altered to appear as though the e-
mail originated from a different source. E-mail spoofing is sending an e-mail to
another person in such a way that it appears that the e-mail was sent by someone
else. A spoof email is one that appears to originate from one source but actually
has been sent from another source. Spoofing is the act of electronically disguising
one computer as another for gaining as the password system. It is becoming so
common that you can no longer take for granted that the e-mail you are receiving is
truly from the person identified as the sender.
Email spoofing is a technique used by hackers to fraudulently send email messages
in which the sender address and other parts of the email header are altered to
appear as though the email originated from a source other than its actual source.
Hackers use this method to disguise the actual email address from which phishing
and spam messages are sent and often use email spoofing in conjunction with Web
page spoofing to trick users into providing personal and confidential information.
10. Cyber Defamation
When a person publishes defamatory matter about someone on a website or sends
e-mails containing defamatory information to all of that person friends, it is termed
as cyber defamation.
11. Forgery
Computers, printers and scanners are used to forge counterfeit currency notes,
postage and revenue stamps, mark sheets etc. These are made using computers, and
high quality scanners and printers.
12. Theft of information contained in electronic form
26
27
Types of Cyber Crimes & Cyber Law in India by Adv. Prashant Mali, Security Corner; retrieved from http://www.csi-
india.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=047c826d-171c-49dc-b71b-4b434c5919b6
46
This includes theft of information stored in computer hard disks, removable
storage media etc.
13. Email bombing

Email bombing refers to sending a large number of emails to the victim resulting in
the victims email account (in case of an individual) or mail servers (in case of a
company or an email service provider) crashing.
14. Internet time theft
Internet time refers to usage by an unauthorized person of the Internet hours paid
for by another person.
15. Theft of computer system
This type of offence involves the theft of a computer, some part(s) of a computer
or a peripheral attached to the computer.
16. Physically damaging a computer system
This crime is committed by physically damaging a computer or its peripherals.
17. Breach of Privacy and Confidentiality
Privacy refers to the right of an individual/s to determine when, how and to what
extent his or her personal data will be shared with others. Breach of privacy means
unauthorized use or distribution or disclosure of personal information.
Confidentiality means non-disclosure of information to unauthorized or unwanted
persons. In addition to Personal information some other type of information which
useful for business and leakage of such information to other persons may cause
damage to business or person, such information should be protected.
Generally for protecting secrecy of such information, parties while sharing
information forms an agreement about the procedure of handling of information
and to not to disclose such information to third parties or use it in such a way that it
will be disclosed to third parties. Many times party or their employees leak such
valuable information for monitory gains and causes breach of contract of
confidentiality. Special techniques such as Social Engineering are commonly used
to obtain confidential information.
18. Data diddling
Data diddling involves changing data prior or during input into a computer. The
information is changed from the way it should be entered by a person typing in the
data, a virus that changes data, the programmer of the database or application, or
47
anyone else involved in the process of having information stored in a computer
file. It also includes automatic changing the financial information for some time
before processing and then restoring original information.
19. E-commerce/ Investment Frauds
An offering that uses false or fraudulent claims to solicit investments or loans, or
that provides for the purchase, use, or trade of forged or counterfeit securities.
Merchandise or services that were purchased or contracted by individuals online
are never delivered. The fraud attributable to the misrepresentation of a product
advertised for sale through an Internet auction site or the non-delivery of products
purchased through an Internet auction site. Investors are enticed to invest in this
fraudulent scheme by the promises of abnormally high profits.
20. Cyber Terrorism
Targeted attacks on military installations, power plants, air traffic control, banks,
trail traffic control, telecommunication networks are the most likely targets. Others
like police, medical, fire and rescue systems etc.28
Cyber terrorism is an attractive option for modern terrorists for several reasons.
 It is cheaper than traditional terrorist methods.
 Cyber terrorism is more anonymous than traditional terrorist methods.
 The variety and number of targets are enormous.
 Cyber terrorism can be conducted remotely, a feature that is especially
appealing to terrorists.
 Cyber terrorism has the potential to affect directly a larger number of people.
3.4 How to Tackle Cyber Crime

It has been seen that most cyber criminals have a loose network wherein they
collaborate and cooperate with one another. Unlike the real world, these criminals
do not fight one another for supremacy or control. Instead they work together to
improve their skills and even help out each other with new opportunities. Hence,
the usual methods of fighting crime cannot be used against cyber criminals. While
law enforcement agencies are trying to keep pace with cyber criminals, it is
28
48
proving to be a Herculean task. This is primarily because the methods used by
cyber criminals and technology keeps changing too quickly for law enforcement
agencies to be effective. That is why commercial institutions and government
organizations need to look at other methods of safeguarding themselves.
The best way to go about is using the solutions provided by Cross-Domain
Solutions. When organizations use cross domain cyber security solutions, they can
ensure that exchange of information adheres to security protocols. The solution
allows organizations to use a unified system comprising of software and hardware
that authenticates both manual and automatic transfer and access of information
when it takes places between different security classification levels. This allows
seamless sharing and access of information within a specific security classification,
but cannot be intercepted by or advertently revealed to user who is not part of the
security classification. This helps to keep the network and the systems using the
network safe.29
3.5 Major Threats of Cyber Crime in the Current Scenario30

Well at present, cases such as credit card thefts and online money-laundering are
on the rise. Cybercrime has also exposed the impending hazards of e-banking.
Zenophobia, hate-mail cases and cyber-terrorism are the most pronounced aspects
of cybercrime across countries. Fake escrow scams, online infringement of music,
videos and software also having big impact in cybercrime. Well, as far as India is
concerned, I don't see very effective laws in place to address such cases. However,
I appreciate the amendment made in the IT Act, 2000. When the IT Act was passed
way back in 2000, the Act majorly addressed issues related to e-commerce.
3.6 Impact of Cyber Crime on Businesses31
As all the businesses, all over the world are increasingly operating in the online
mode because most of their work being done through websites, hence all sectors
29
Cross Domain Solutions: Ensuring Complete Data Security; retrieved from http://www.crossdomainsolutions.com/cyber-
crime/
30
Cyber Crime- A Threat to Persons, Property, Government and Societies by Er. Harpreet Singh Dalla et. al., International
Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering, Volume 3, Issue 5, May 2013; retrieved from
http://www.ijarcsse.com/docs/papers/Volume_3/5_May2013/V3I5-0374.pdf
31
49
are equally vulnerable to cybercrime. Cyber Crimes always affects the companies
of any size because almost all the companies gain an online presence and take
advantage of the rapid gains in the technology but greater attention to be given to
its security risks. However, I would say that SMEs in the IT industry are the
greatest stake holders. Piracy and copy right protection are the major threats.
3.7 Cyber laws32

Cybercrimes are a new class of crimes which are increasing day by day due to
extensive use of internet these days. To combat the crimes related to internet The
Information Technology Act, 2000 was enacted with prime objective to create an
enabling environment for commercial use of I.T. The IT Act specifies the acts
which have been made punishable. The Indian Penal Code, 1860 has also been
amended to take into its purview cybercrimes. The various offenses related to
internet which have been made punishable under the IT Act and the IPC are
enumerated below:
1. Cybercrimes under the IT Act

 Tampering with Computer source documents - Sec.65
 Hacking with Computer systems, Data alteration - Sec.66
 Publishing obscene information - Sec.67
 Un-authorized access to protected system Sec.70 Breach of Confidentiality
and Privacy - Sec.72
 Publishing false digital signature certificates - Sec.73
2. Cyber Crimes under IPC and Special Laws
 Sending threatening messages by email - Sec 503 IPC
 Sending defamatory messages by email - Sec 499 IPC
 Forgery of electronic records - Sec 463 IPC
 Bogus websites, cyber frauds - Sec 420 IPC
32
50
 Email spoofing - Sec 463 IPC
 Web-Jacking - Sec. 383 IPC
 E-Mail Abuse - Sec.500 IPC
3. Cyber Crimes under the Special Acts
 Online sale of Drugs under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act
 Online sale of Arms Act
3.8 Prevention of Cyber Crime33

Prevention is always better than cure. It is always better to take certain precautions
while working on the net. One should make them a part of his cyber life. Sailesh
Kumar Zarkar, technical advisor and network security consultant to the Mumbai
Police Cybercrime Cell, advocates the 5P mantra for online security: Precaution,
Prevention, Protection, Preservation and Perseverance.
 Identification of exposures through education will assist responsible
companies and firms to meet these challenges.
 One should avoid disclosing any personal information to strangers, the
person whom they don‖t know, via e-mail or while chatting or any social
networking site.
 One must avoid sending any photograph to strangers by online as misusing
or modification of photograph incidents increasing day by day.
 An update Anti-virus software to guard against virus attacks should be used
by all the netizens and should also keep back up volumes so that one may not
suffer data loss in case of virus contamination.
 A person should never send his credit card number or debit card number to
any site that is not secured, to guard against frauds.
 It is always the parents who have to keep a watch on the sites that their
children are accessing, to prevent any kind of harassment or depravation in
children.
33
51
 Web site owners should watch traffic and check any irregularity on the site.
It is the responsibility of the web site owners to adopt some policy for preventing
cybercrimes as number of internet users are growing day by day.
 Web servers running public sites must be physically separately protected
from internal corporate network.
 It is better to use a security programs by the body corporate to control
information on sites.
 Strict statutory laws need to be passed by the legislatures keeping in mind the
interest of netizens.
 IT department should pass certain guidelines and notifications for the
protection of computer system and should also bring out with some more strict
laws to breakdown the criminal activities relating to cyberspace.
 As Cyber Crime is the major threat to all the countries worldwide, certain
steps should be taken at the international level for preventing the cybercrime.
 A complete justice must be provided to the victims of cybercrimes by way of
compensatory remedy and offenders to be punished with highest type of
punishment so that it will anticipate the criminals of cybercrime.
Rehabilitation

Cyber-criminals should be aware that no matter where in the world you
commit cybercrime, even from remote places, you can and will be identified and
held accountable for your actions.
3.10 Summary
Cybercrimes have become a real threat today and are quite different from old-
school crimes, such as robbing, mugging or stealing. Unlike these crimes,
cybercrimes can be committed single handedly and does not require the physical
presence of the criminals. The crimes can be committed from a remote location
and the criminals need not worry about the law enforcement agencies in the
country where they are committing crimes.
52
3.11 References
1. Cross Domain Solutions: Ensuring Complete Data Security; retrieved from
http://www.crossdomainsolutions.com/cyber-crime/
2. Helpline Law: Legal Solutions Worldwide; retrieved from
http://www.helplinelaw.com/employment-criminal-and labour/CCII/cyber-crimes-
in-india.html
3. Cyber Crimes: Law and Practice; retrieved from
http://www.img.kerala.gov.in/docs/downloads/cyber%20crimes.pdf
4. Types of Cyber Crimes & Cyber Law in India by Adv. Prashant Mali,
Security Corner; retrieved from http://www.csi-
india.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=047c826d-171c-49dc-b71b-
4b434c5919b6
5. Cyber Crime- A Threat to Persons, Property, Government and Societies by
Er. Harpreet Singh Dallaet. al., International Journal of Advanced Research in
Computer Science and Software Engineering, Volume 3, Issue 5, May 2013;
retrieved from http://www.ijarcsse.com/docs/papers/Volume_3/5_May2013/V3I5-
0374.pdf

1. ____________________ means repeated acts of harassment or threatening
behavior of the cybercriminal towards the victim by using internet services.
2. _________________ means showing sexual acts in order to cause sexual
excitement.
3. Crimes against a government are referred to as __________________.
4. Hacking means __________________ into a computer system and/or
network.
5. ____________________ refers to the illegal copying of genuine programs or
the counterfeiting and distribution of products intended to pass for the original.

1. Cyber stalking
53
2. Pornography
3. Cyber terrorism
4. Illegal intrusion
5. Software piracy

1. Explain different categories of cybercrime?
2. Describe cyber stalking and cyber defamation in brief.
3. Discuss 5 kinds of cybercrime.
4. What are the major threats occur in cyber world?
5. How cybercrimes are tackling in upcoming scenario?
54
Unit-4
Cyber Forensic and Issues related to
Evidences
Objectives:
 What is Computer Forensics
 What is objectives of Computer Forensics
 Phases of Cyber Forensics
 Misuse of computer forensics
Structure:
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Computer Forensics Defined
4.3 Objectives of Cyber Forensics
4.4 Legal Scenario
4.5 Legal Provisions in Indian Perspective
4.6 Phases of Cyber Forensics
4.7 Cyber Forensic Tools
4.8 Case Laws
4.9 Misuse of computer forensics
4.10 Summary
4.11 References
4.1 Introduction
55
Technology has taken the world by storm in recent decades; the advent of the
computer has completely revolutionized the way people live, work and play.
Particularly, computers have affected businesses in numerous ways, allowing them
to run more efficiently. However, there is a dark side to computers, when
individuals use them to lash out malicious assaults. These assaults may include
fraud, identity theft, hacking, embezzlement and a wide array of other activities.
When these individuals are caught, specialists are called in to seize and gather
information from the computers. Computer forensics is the science of locating;
extracting, analyzing and protecting types of data from different devices, which
specialists then interpret to serve as legal evidence.
Computer crimes have been occurring for nearly 30 years, since computers were
being used in production. Evidence can be derived from computers and then used
in court. Initially, judges accepted the computer-derived evidence as no different
from other forms of evidence; however, as data became more ambiguous with the
advancement of computers, they were not as reliable.34
Computers have become an important part of our lives and as such are involved in
almost everything we do from paying bills to booking vacations. However,
computer systems have also become the mainstay of criminal activity. And when
the individuals involved are brought before the courts, innocence or guilt is
basically decided by testimonies and evidence. Of the two areas, evidence is
probably the area most key. And when it comes to ‗evidence‘ it is the accuracy of
that evidence which may be the difference in determining the outcome of the trail.
Relying more and more on the evidence extracted from computer systems to bring
about convictions has forged a new means of scientific investigation. The term
used to coin this area of investigation is ‗computer forensics.‘ It is an area of
science that has come under the scrutiny of law enforcement, federal, state, and
local government officials. And the reason for the scrutiny revolves around the
‗cleanliness‘ of the data being presented. 35
Computer forensics involves the preservation, identification, extraction,
documentation and interpretation of computer data. The three main steps in any
computer forensic investigation are acquiring, authenticating, and analyzing of the
34
An investigation of Computer Forensics by Ryan Pidanick; retrieved from http://www.isaca.org/Journal/Past-
Issues/2004/Volume-3/Pages/An-Investigation-of-Computer-Forensics.aspx
35
Computer Forensics: Bringing the Evidence to Court by Cornell Walker; retrieved from
http://www.infosecwriters.com/text_resources/pdf/Computer_Forensics_to_Court.pdf
56
data. Acquiring the data mainly involves creating a bit-by-bit copy of the hard
drive. Authentication is the ensuring that the copy used to perform the
investigation is an exact replica of the contents of the original hard drive by
comparing the checksums of the copy and the original. Analysis of the data is the
most important part of the investigation since this is where incriminating evidence
may be found.
Part of the analysis process is spent in the recovery of deleted files. The job of the
investigator is to know where to find the remnants of these files and interpret the
results. Any file data and file attributes found may yield valuable clues.
Investigation of Windows and UNIX systems are similar in some ways, but the
forensic analyst can tailor the investigation to one or the other since each operating
system is different in unique ways. If deleted data could not be recovered through
the use of common forensic tools, more sensitive instruments can be used to
extract the data, but this is rarely done because of the high cost of the instruments.
Data recovery is only one aspect of the forensics investigation. Tracking the
hacking activities within a compromised system is also important. With any system
that is connected to the Internet, hacker attacks are as certain as death and taxes.
Although it is impossible to completely defend against all attacks, as soon as a
hacker successfully breaks into a computer system the hacker begins to leave a trail
of clues and evidence that can be used to piece together what has been done and
sometimes can even be used to follow a hacker home. Computer forensics can be
employed on a compromised system to find out exactly how a hacker got into the
system, which parts of the system were damaged or modified. However, system
administrators must first be educated in the procedures and methods of forensic
investigation if a system is to be recovered and protected. With the help of
computer forensics, administrators are able to learn about mistakes made in the
past and help prevent incidents from occurring in the future.
Each time any kind of input is fed into the computer, whether it is a key pressed on
your keyboard, or a click on the mouse, a signal is generated and sent to the
appropriate computer application and they can be intercepted in your computer via
a software program that is running in the background or physically from some
external device.
Keystroke loggers are made specifically for this purpose and can be employed by a
network administrator to ensure employees are not misusing the company
57
resources; or they can be used by hackers to steal passwords, social security
numbers, and any other sensitive information entered by an unsuspecting person.
Because of the wealth of information that can be gained from a computer forensics
investigation, ethical considerations should be examined. Computer forensics is
essentially a means for gathering electronic evidence during an investigation. In
order to use this information to prosecute a criminal act and to avoid suppression
during trial, evidence must be collected carefully and legally. It is particularly
important to be aware of the privacy rights of suspects, victims and uninvolved
third parties. An investigator needs to have knowledge of several laws and statutes
that govern electronic evidence collection including the fourth amendment of the
constitution, 18 U.S.C. ß2510-22, also known as the wiretap statute, the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), and the USA PATRIOT Act. Each of these
items affects the legality of electronic evidence and the appropriate procedures to
acquire that evidence.36
4.2 Computer Forensics Defined

Judd Robbins‘, an explanation of Computer Forensics, definition of computer
forensics is as follows: ‗Computer forensics is simply the application of computer
investigation and analysis techniques in the interests of determining potential legal
evidence. Evidence might be sought in a wide range of computer crime or misuse,
including but not limited to theft of trade secrets, theft of or destruction of
intellectual property, and fraud.‘37
Jerry Wegman, an Associate Professor of Business Law, states, ‗Computer
forensics has developed as an indispensable tool for law enforcement. But in the
digital world, as in the physical l world, the goals of law enforcement are balanced
with the goals of maintaining personal liberty and privacy. Computer forensic
investigators must be aware of the legal environment in which they work, or they
risk having the evidence they obtain being ruled inadmissible.‘38
36
Issues in Computer Forensics (.pdf) by Sonia Bui et. al; retrieved from
http://www.cse.scu.edu/~jholliday/COEN150sp03/projects/Forensic%20Investigation.pdf
37
38
58
Ms. Erin Kenneally further defines computer forensics by stating, ‗Since forensic
science is the application of a scientific discipline to the law, the essence of all
forensic disciplines concerns the principles applied to the detection, collection,
preservation, and analysis of evidence to ensure its admissibility in legal
proceedings. Computer forensics refers to the tools and techniques to recover,
preserve, and examine data stored or transmitted in binary form.‘ 39
Computer forensics is the application of investigation and analysis techniques to
gather and preserve evidence from a particular computing device in a way that is
suitable for presentation in a court of law. The goal of computer forensics is to
perform a structured investigation while maintaining a documented chain of
evidence to find out exactly what happened on a computing device and who was
responsible for it.
Forensic investigators typically follow a standard set of procedures: After
physically isolating the device in question to make sure it cannot be accidentally
contaminated, investigators make a digital copy of the device's storage media.
Once the original media has been copied, it is locked in a safe or other secure
facility to maintain its pristine condition. All investigation is done on the digital
copy.
Investigators use a variety of techniques and proprietary software forensic
applications to examine the copy, searching hidden folders and unallocated disk
space for copies of deleted, encrypted, or damaged files. Any evidence found on
the digital copy is carefully documented in a "finding report" and verified with the
original in preparation for legal proceedings that involve discovery, depositions, or
actual litigation.40
4.3 Objectives of Cyber Forensics41

The objective of Cyber forensics is to identify digital evidence for an investigation
with the scientific method to draw conclusions. Examples of investigations that use
39
40
Computer forensics (cyber forensics) by Margaret Rouse; retrieved from
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/computer-forensics
41
Plethora of Cyber Forensics by N.Sridhar, et. al.; retrieved from http://thesai.org/Downloads/Volume2No11/Paper%2018-
%20Plethora%20of%20Cyber%20Forensics.pdf
59
cyber forensics include unlawful use of computers, child pornography, and cyber
terrorism.
The area of cyber forensics has become prominent field of research because:
1. Forensics systems allow the administrator to diagnose errors
2. Intrusion detection systems are necessary in avoiding cyber crimes
3. Change detection can be possible with proactive forensics
Cyber forensics can be used for two benefits:
 To investigate allegations of digital malfeasance
 To perform cause analysis
4.4 Legal Scenario42

Forensic evidence is only as valuable as the integrity of the method that the
evidence was obtained. The methods applied to obtain evidence are best
represented if standards are known and readily established by the digital forensics
community. The Fourth Amendment limits the ability of government agents to
perform search and seizure evidence tactics without a warrant, including
computers.
The Fourth Amendment states: The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,
shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
The Fourth Amendment question that typically comes up in digital evidence cases
asks whether an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy having
electronic information stored on electronic devices under that individual‖s control.
Computer evidence can present a challenge for both prosecutors and defendants
alike. A guide to offering mobile device data as evidence is beyond the scope of
this research but a few examples of some digital forensics issues in real life
situations are described below.
42
The challenges facing computer forensics investigators in obtaining information form mobile devices for use in criminal
investigations by David W. Bennett; retrieved from http://articles.forensicfocus.com/2011/08/22/the-challenges-facing-
computer-forensics-investigators-in-obtaining-information-from-mobile-devices-for-use-in-criminal-investigations/
60
A legal issue in presenting evidence is the ‗best evidence rule‘ which states that to
prove the contents of a document, recording or photograph, the ‗original‘
document, recording or photograph is ordinarily required. For example, in United
States v. Bennett, 363 F.3d 947, 953 (9th Cir. 2004), a federal agent testified about
information that he viewed on the screen of a GPS on the defendant‖s boat in order
to prove he had imported drugs across international waters. It was decided the
agent‖s testimony violated the best evidence rule because he had only observed a
graphical representation of data from the GPS instead of actually observing the
professed path the boat had been following during the encounter. Since the U.S.
sought to prove the contents of the GPS, the best evidence rule was invoked and
required the government to present the actual GPS data or printout of the data,
rather than the testimony from the federal agent.
In 2010, a Japanese sumo wrestling match-fixing scandal was brought to light after
investigators analyzed data left on fifty cell phones seized from wrestlers of the
Japan Sumo Association (JSA) while probing a baseball scandal in that country.
The Japanese police were able to retrieve and restore electronic mail messages
previously deleted from the mobile phones including messages exchanged among
wrestlers who were being implicated in the wrestling bout-rigging case. The sumo
wrestlers refused to turn over their mobile devices to law enforcement claiming
their phones were damaged due to water or the battery had died in the phones. The
case is still ongoing in Japan but members of the JSA plan to obtain data left on the
cell phones utilized by the suspected wrestlers to restore deleted email messages in
order to prove the case against the sumo wrestlers. Even if deleted, the cell phone
email data remains in binary format on the handheld device‖s memory. This is
called data remanence or the residual representation of data that remains after
attempts have been made to remove or erase the data. Through digital forensics,
even mobile devices that have been ruined or immersed in water can still recover
data unless the device‖s memory chips are destroyed.
Like digital evidence from a computer, it is necessary to have proper legal
authority in order to perform a forensics investigation of cellular telephones and
mobile handheld devices. An exception that is supported by case law (U.S. v.
Finley C.A.5 Tex., 2007, & U.S. v. Carroll N.D. Ga. , 2008) allows a search
‗incident to arrest‘ and is often connected with searches of arrestees and motor
vehicles. For example, in the U.S v. Finley case, it was noted that the defendant in
61
the case ‗had conceded that a cell phone was analogous to a closed container‘ for
the purpose of Fourth Amendment analysis. Such searches are allowed by the court
to be performed for the preservation of evidence that could easily be altered or
damaged. This exception for handheld devices is restricted by a limited period of
time and according to law, may be searched without a warrant only if the search is
‗substantially contemporaneous with the arrest (U.S. v. Curry D Me., 2008).
The authors of the Fourth Amendment could not have envisioned the powerful
technology of today‖s electronic age and courts have only begun to answer difficult
questions that are being introduced through the use of these devices. Current
Fourth Amendment doctrine and precedent cases suggest that the United States
Supreme Court would consent to invasive searches of a mobile device found on the
person of many individuals and has allowed an exception permitting warrantless
searches on the grounds that law enforcement should be allowed to look for
weapons or other evidence that could be linked to an alleged crime. The Obama
administration and many local prosecutors feel that warrantless searches are
perfectly constitutional during arrests.
Privacy advocates feel that existing legal rules allowing law enforcement to search
suspects at the time of an arrest should not apply to mobile devices like the smart
phone because the value of information being stored is greater and the threat of an
intrusive search is much higher, such as PII. Personally identifiable information
(PII) is information connected to an individual including but not limited to
education, financial transactions, medical information, and criminal or employment
history which can be used to trace that individual‖s identity such as name, social
security number, or birth date. While technologies have evolved over the years, the
search incident principle has remained constant.
The Fourth Amendment applies to mobile electronic devices and digital evidence
just as it does any other type of criminal evidence. Legally, when handling
computers and mobile devices, it is best for the forensics investigator to treat them
as they would a closed container, such as a briefcase or a file cabinet. Generally,
the Fourth Amendment prohibits law enforcement personnel from accessing,
viewing, or examining information stored on a computer or mobile device if the
law enforcer would be prohibited from opening a closed container and examining
its contents in the same situation. The forensics investigator should always be
aware that laws vary state by state and unopened electronic mail, unread texts, and
62
incoming phone calls of seized devices may present non-consensual eavesdropping
issues.
In digital media searches, the media is frequently searched off site and in an
enclosed forensics laboratory. Generally, courts have treated the offsite forensics
analysis of seized digital media as a continuation of the initial search and thus, the
investigator is still bound by the Fourth Amendment. Because this analysis is often
treated as part of the initial search, the government bears not only the burden of
proving the seizure was reasonable and proper, but also that the search was
conducted in a reasonable manner. To ensure that search and seizure forensics
analysis meets the burden later at the trial, the forensics investigator should
generate a written report with clear documentation of the analysis.
4.5 Legal Provisions in Indian Perspective43

The confluence of two legal paradigms, i.e., the law of evidence and that of
information technology has made the legal domain at par with the contemporary
challenges of the cyber space.
1. Firstly, the traditional law defining the term ‗Evidence‘ has been amended to
include electronic evidence in Section 3, The Evidence Act, 1872. The other
parallel legal recognition appeared in Section 4, The Information Technology
(Amendment) Act, 2008, with the provision for acceptance of matter in electronic
form to be treated as ‗written‘ if the need arises. These show a prima facie
acceptability of digital evidence in any trial.
2. Further, Section 79A of the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008 has gone aboard to
define electronic evidence as any information of probative value that is either
stored, or transmitted in electronic form and includes computer evidence, digital
audio, digital video, cell phones and digital fax machines.
3. With regards to admissibility of electronic records, Section 65-B of the
Evidence Act, 1872 enunciates various conditions for the same.
4. Since digital evidence ought to be collected and preserved in certain form,
the admissibility of storage devices imbibing the media content from the crime
scene is also an important factor to consider. Reading Section 3 and Section 65-B,
43
Cyber Forensics: law and practice in India | iPleaders http://blog.ipleaders.in/cyber-forensics-law-and-practice-in-
india/#ixzz3FpZ7Gmxg
63
The Evidence Act, 1872 cumulatively, it can be inferred that certain computer
outputs of the original electronic record, are now made admissible as evidence
‗without proof or production of the original record. Thus, the matter on computer
printouts and floppy disks and CDs become admissible as evidence.‘
5. The other most crucial question in cybercrime investigation regarding the
reliability of digital evidence has also been clarified by Section 79A of the IT
(Amendment) Act, 2008, which empowers the Central government to appoint any
department or agency of Central or State government as Examiner of Electronic
Evidence. This agency will play a crucial role in providing expert opinion on
electronic form of evidence.
4.6 Phases of Cyber Forensics44
4.6.1 Identification Phase

The identification phase is the process of identifying evidence material and its
probable location. This phase is unlike a traditional crime scene it processes the
incident scene and documents every step of the way. Evidence should be handled
properly. Basic requirement in evidence collection is evidence must be presented
without alteration. This requirement applies to all phases of forensics analysis. At
the time of evidence collection, there is a need of thorough check of system logs,
time stamps and security monitors.
Once evidence collected, it is necessary to account for its whereabouts.
Investigators would need detailed forensics to establish a chain of custody, the
documentation of the possession of evidence. Chain of custody is a vital part of
computer forensics and the legal system and the goal is to protect the integrity of
evidence, so evidence should be physically secured in a safe place along with a
detailed log.
The evidence and chain of custody which is useful during incident investigation.
Handling specific type of incidents like Denial of Service, Malicious Code,
Unauthorized access etc. are described in computer security incident handling
guide.
44
64
4.6.2 Acquisition Phase
The acquisition phase saves the state of evidence that can be further analyzed. The
goal of this phase is to save all digital values. Here, a copy of hard disk is created,
which is commonly called as an image. Different methods of acquiring data and
their relative advantages and disadvantages are described in. As per law
enforcement community, there are three types of commonly accepted forensics
acquisition: mirror image, forensics duplication and live acquisition.
Mirror images, bit-for-bit copy, involve the backups of entire hard disk. Creation
of mirror image is simple in theory, but its accuracy must meet evidence standards.
The purpose of having mirror image is evidence available in the case of the
original system need to be restarted for further analysis. Data and their relative
advantages and disadvantages are described in as per law enforcement community;
there are three types of commonly accepted forensics acquisition: mirror image,
forensics duplication and live acquisition.
Mirror images, bit-for-bit copy, involve the backups of entire hard disk. Creation
of mirror image is simple in theory, but its accuracy must meet evidence standards.
The purpose of having mirror image is evidence available in the case of the
original system need to be restarted for further analysis.
4.6.3 Analysis Phase
Forensic analysis is the process of understanding, recreating and analyzing
arbitrary events that have gathered from digital sources. The analysis phase
collects the acquired data and examines it to find the pieces of evidences.
This phase also identify that the system was tampered or not to avoid
identification. Analysis phase examines all the evidence collected during collection
and acquisition phases. There are three types of examinations can be applied for
the forensics analysis; limited, partial or full examination.
4.6.4 Reporting Phase
The reporting phase comprises of documentation and evidence retention. The
scientific method used in this phase is to draw conclusions based on the gathered
evidence. This phase is mainly based on the Cyber laws and presents the
conclusions for corresponding evidence from the investigation. There is a need of
good policy for how long evidence from an incident should be retention. Factors to
be considered in this process are prosecution, data retention and cost. To meet the
65
retention requirements there is a need of maintaining log archival. The archived
logs must be protected to maintain confidentiality and integrity of logs.
4.7 Forensics Methodology
The International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS) has
developed a forensic methodology which can be summarized as follows:
 Protect the Crime Scene, power shutdown for the computer and document
the hardware configuration and transport the computer system to a secure location
 Bit Stream backup of digital media, use hash algorithms to authenticate data
on all storage devices and document the system date and time
 Search keywords and check file space management (swap file, file slack
evaluation, unallocated space)
 Evaluate program functionality, document findings/results and retain Copies
of software.
4.8 Cyber Forensic Tools45
The main objective of cyber forensics tools is to extract digital evidence which can
be admissible in court of law. Electronic evidence (e-evidence, for short) is playing
a vital role in cybercrimes. Computer forensics tools used to find skeletons in
digital media. To reduce the effect of anti-forensics tools the Investigator is likely
to have the tools and knowledge required to counter the use of anti-forensics
techniques.
1. The Coroner‖s Toolkit (TCT), is an open source set of forensic tools
designed to conduct investigation UNIX systems.
2. Encase is the industry standard software used by law enforcement
3. The Forensic Toolkit (FTK) is very powerful tool but not simple to use.
4. 12Analyst is a different type of analysis tool; it is visual investigative
analysis software.
5. LogLogic‖s LX 2000 is powerful and distributed log analysis tool.
6. Net Witness and security intelligence are network traffic security analyzer
tools.
7. ProDiscover Incident Response (IR) is a complete IT forensic tool that can
access computers over the network to study the network behavior
45
66
8. The Sleuth Kit is one of network forensics tools used to find file instances in
an NTFS file.
4.9 Case Laws

State of Maharashtra vs. Dr. Praful B Desai (AIR 2003 SC 2053) 46
[The question involved whether a witness can be examined by means of a video
conference.]
The Supreme Court observed that video conferencing is an advancement of science
and technology which permits seeing, hearing, and talking with someone who is
not physically present with the same facility and ease as if they were physically
present.
The legal requirement for the presence of the witness does not mean actual
physical presence. The court allowed the examination of a witness through video
conferencing and concluded that there is no reason why the examination of a
witness by video conferencing should not be an essential part of electronic
evidence.
Rajesh and Nupur Talwar Would File Appeal At Allahabad High Court Today47
The Aarushi Talwar‖s murder case is a real complicated one. There is no direct
evidence and the case has been decided based upon circumstantial evidences. A
CBI judge, in November 2013, held that the parents of Aarushi Talwar are guilty
of the murder of their daughter and domestic help.
Now the convicted couple has decided to file an appeal before the Allahabad High
Court on Tuesday i.e. 21-01-2014. An application for bail had also been attached
with the appeal, with the matter likely to be listed for Thursday. The appeal runs
into 2,200 pages, with the grounds for appeal being 600 pages long.
The lawyers for the convicted accused parents are appealing against issues like
nature of burden of proof, improper witnesses and evidence, etc. These seem to be
traditional criminal law related arguments.
The lawyers of the convicted parents seem to have ignored the digital evidence
that, if proved successfully, could easily lead to their acquittal. This is more so
46
Electronic Evidence and Cyber Law by Adv. Prashant Mali; retrieved from http://www.csi-
india.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=d817e5eb-ca5a-40c2-b8aa-d6302c26443a
47
Cyber Forensics in India; retrieved from http://perry4law.org/cfii/
67
when the central bureau of investigation (CBI) has failed to produce very
credible cyber forensics evidence In the lower court.
When stakes are high it is not a good strategy to ignore and exclude crucial areas
that can strengthen a lawyer‖s case. Let us see how the appeal would be pursued at
the Allahabad High Court in the near future.
Jagjit Singh vs. State of Haryana ((2006) 11 SCC 1)48
The speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Haryana disqualiﬁed a
member for defection. When hearing the matter, the Supreme Court considered the
digital evidence in the form of interview transcripts from the Zee News television
channel, the AajTak television channel, and the Haryana News of Punjab Today
television channel.
The court determined that the electronic evidence placed on record was admissible
and upheld the reliance placed by the speaker on the recorded interview when
reaching the conclusion that the voices recorded on the CD were those of the
persons taking action. The Supreme Court found no inﬁrmity in the speaker's
reliance on the digital evidence and the conclusions reached by him. The
comments in this case indicate a trend emerging in Indian courts: judges are
beginning to recognize and appreciate the importance of digital evidence in legal
proceedings.
Rehabilitation
4.10 Misuse of computer forensics

Computer forensic evidence often plays a key role in serious crime investigations,
helping to track and analyze criminal behavior through data stored on privately
owned computers and mobile devices. There is, however, a growing trend of
computer misuse in the workplace, and more public and private sector
organisations now look to the experts to uncover this evidence discreetly and
without disrupting business continuity.
4.11 Summary
48
Electronic Evidence and Cyber Law by Adv. Prashant Mali; retrieved from http://www.csi-
india.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=d817e5eb-ca5a-40c2-b8aa-d6302c26443a
68
Computers have become an important part of our lives and as such are involved in
almost everything we do from paying bills to booking vacations. However,
computer systems have also become the mainstay of criminal activity. And when
the individuals involved are brought before the courts, innocence or guilt is
basically decided by testimonies and evidence. Of the two areas, evidence is
probably the area most key. And when it comes to ‗evidence‘ it is the accuracy of
that evidence which may be the difference in determining the outcome of the trail.
4.12 References
1. An investigation of Computer Forensics by Ryan Pidanick; retrieved from
http://www.isaca.org/Journal/Past-Issues/2004/Volume-3/Pages/An-Investigation-
of-Computer-Forensics.aspx
2. Computer Forensics: Bringing the Evidence to Court by Cornell Walker;
retrieved from
http://www.infosecwriters.com/text_resources/pdf/Computer_Forensics_to_Court.
pdf
3. Issues in Computer Forensics (.pdf) by Sonia Bui et. al; retrieved from
http://www.cse.scu.edu/~jholliday/COEN150sp03/projects/Forensic%20Investigati
on.pdf
4. Computer forensics (cyber forensics) by Margaret Rouse; retrieved from
http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/computer-forensics
5. Plethora of Cyber Forensics by N.Sridhar, et. al.; retrieved from
http://thesai.org/Downloads/Volume2No11/Paper%2018-
6. The challenges facing computer forensics investigators in obtaining
information form mobile devices for use in criminal investigations by David W.
Bennett; retrieved from http://articles.forensicfocus.com/2011/08/22/the-
challenges-facing-computer-forensics-investigators-in-obtaining-information-
from-mobile-devices-for-use-in-criminal-investigations/
7. Cyber Forensics: law and practice in India |
iPleaders http://blog.ipleaders.in/cyber-forensics-law-and-practice-in-
india/#ixzz3FpZ7Gmxg
69
8. Electronic Evidence and Cyber Law by Adv. Prashant Mali; retrieved from
http://www.csi-india.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=d817e5eb-ca5a-40c2-
b8aa-d6302c26443a
9. Cyber Forensics in India; retrieved from http://perry4law.org/cfii/

1. The ________________ is the process of identifying evidence material and
its probable location.
2. The ____________________ saves the state of evidence that can be further
analyzed.
3. The analysis phase collects the ______________ and examines it to find the
pieces of evidences.
4. The reporting phase comprises of ______________ and ____________
retention.
5. The main objective of _________________ is to extract digital evidence
which can be admissible in court of law.
1. Identification phase
2. Acquisition phase
3. Acquired data
4. Documentation and evidence
5. Cyber forensics tools

1. Explain the concept of cyber forensic tools with example?
2. Discuss different phases of cyber forensics.
3. What are the objectives of cyber forensics?
4. Describe the forensics methodology in digital world.
5. What are the legal regulations mentioned in cyber forensics?
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Unit-5
Criminal Liabilities under I.T. Act, 2000
Objectives:
 What is criminal liability for misuse of Information Technology
 What are offences & Penalties under the Information Technology Act, 2004
 Various offences under the Information Technology Act, 2004
Structure:_______________________________________________________
___________Criminal Liability for misuse of Information Technology
5.1 Offences & Penalties under the Information Technology Act, 2004
5.2 Offences
5.3 Offences under the IT Act 2000
5.3.1 Section-65
5.3.2 Section-66
5.3.3 Section-67
5.3.4 Section-68
5.3.5 Section-69
5.3.6 Section-70
5.3.7 Section-71
5.3.8 Section-72
5.3.9 Section-73
5.3.10 Section-74
5.3.11 Section-75
5.3.12 Section-76, 77 and 78
5.5 Summary
5.6 References
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5.1 Criminal Liability for misuse of Information Technology
Criminal Liability for misuse of Information Technology under Information
Technology Act, 200049 are as under:
S.No. Section Offence Name Description Penalty

1. 65 Tampering with Intentional concealment, Imprisonment up to 3 years
computer source destruction or alteration of the or with fine up to 2 lakh
document computer source code which is Rupees or with both.
required to be kept or maintained
by law
2. 66 Hacking with Destruction, deletion or alteration Imprisonment up to 3 years
Computer of any information residing in a or with fine up to 2 lakh
System computer resource, decreasing its Rupees or with both.
value or utility or affecting it
injuriously by whatever means
intentionally or knowingly.
3. 67 Publishing of Publication or transmission by a On first conviction with
information person or through someone else in imprisonment up to 5 years
which is obscene the electronic form, any and with fine up to 1 lakh
in electronic material which is lascivious or Rupees and in the event of
form appeals to the prurient interest or if a second or subsequent
its effect is such which tends to conviction with
deprave and corrupt persons who imprisonment up to 10
are likely, having regard to all years and also with fine up
relevant circumstances, to read, see to 2 lakh Rupees.
or hear the matter contained or
embodied in it.
44. 71 Misrepresentatio Making any misrepresentation to, Imprisonment for a term
n to the or suppression of any material fact which may extend to 2
Controller or the from, the Controller or the years, or with fine up to 1
Certifying Certifying Authority for obtaining lakh Rupees, or with both
49
Criminal Liability for misuse of information technology by Seth Associates (Advocates & Legal Consultants), retrieved from
http://www.sethassociates.com/criminal-liability-for-misuse-of-information-technology.html
72
Authority any license or Digital Signature
Certificate, as the case may be.
55. 72 Penalty for Any person, who, in pursuance of Imprisonment for a term
breach of any of the powers conferred under which may extend to 2
confidentiality IT Act, has secured access to any years, or with fine up to 1
and privacy electronic record, book, register, lakh Rupees, or with both.
correspondence, information or
document without the consent of
the person concerned discloses
such electronic record, book,
register, correspondence,
information, document to any other
person.
66. 73 Publishing Publishing a Digital Signature Imprisonment for a term
Digital Signature Certificate or otherwise making it which may extend to 2
Certificate false available to any other person with years, or with fine which
in certain the knowledge that the Certifying may extend to 1 lakh
particulars Authority listed in the certificate Rupees.
has not issued it or the subscriber
listed in the certificate has not
accepted it or the certificate has
been revoked or suspended, unless
such publication is for the purpose
of verifying a digital signature
created prior to such suspension or
revocation.
77. 74 Publication for Creation, publication or otherwise Imprisonment for a term
fraudulent making available a Digital which may extend to 2
purpose Signature years, or with fine up to 1
Certificate for any fraudulent or lakh Rupees, or with both.
unlawful purpose.
73
5.2 Offences & Penalties under the Information Technology
Act, 200050
The introduction of the internet has brought the tremendous changes in our lives.
People of all fields are increasingly using the computers to create, transmit and
store information in the electronic form instead of the traditional papers,
documents. Information stored in electronic forms has many advantages, it is
cheaper, easier to store, easier to retrieve and for speedier to connection. Though it
has many advantages, it has been misused by many people in order to gain
themselves or for sake or otherwise to harm others. The high and speedier
connectivity to the world from any place has developed many crimes and these
increased offences led to the need of law for protection. Some countries have been
rather been vigilant and formed some laws governing the net. In order to keep in
pace with the changing generation, the Indian Parliament passed the law ---
Information Technology Act 2000. The IT Act 2000 has been conceptualized on
the United Nations Commissions on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model
Law.
The increase rate of technology in computers has led to enactment of Information
Technology Act 2000. The converting of the paper work into electronic records,
the storage of the electronic data, has led tremendous changed the scenario of the
country. The Act further amends the Indian Penal Code, 1860, The Evidence Act,
1872, The Banker‖s Book‖s Evidence Act, 1891 and The Reserve Bank of India
Act, 1934.
5.3 Offences
Cyber offences are the unlawful acts which are carried in a very sophisticated
manner in which either the computer is the tool or target or both. Cybercrime
usually includes:
a) Unauthorized access of the computers
b) Data diddling
c) Virus/worms attack
d) Theft of computer system
50
Offences and Penalties under the Information Technology Act, 2000 by Pradnya (November 17, 2010); retrieved from
http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/offences-&-penalties-under-the-it-act-2000-439-1.html
74
e) Hacking
f) Denial of attacks
g) Logic bombs
h) Trojan attacks
i) Internet time theft
j) Web jacking
k) Email bombing
l) Salami attacks
m) Physically damaging computer system
The offences included in the IT Act 2000 are as follows:

1. Tampering with the computer source documents.
2. Hacking with computer system.
3. Publishing of information which is obscene in electronic form.
4. Power of Controller to give directions
5. Directions of Controller to a subscriber to extend facilities to decrypt
information
6. Protected system
7. Penalty for misrepresentation
8. Penalty for breach of confidentiality and privacy
9. Penalty for publishing Digital Signature Certificate false in certain particulars
10. Publication for fraudulent purpose
11. Act to apply for offence or contravention committed outside India
12. Confiscation
13. Penalties or confiscation not to interfere with other punishments.
14. Power to investigate offences.
5.4 Offences under the IT Act 2000
5.4.1 Section 65: Tampering with computer source documents

Whoever knowingly or intentionally conceals, destroys or alters or intentionally or
knowingly causes another to conceal, destroy or alter any computer source code
used for a computer, computer programme, computer system or computer network,
75
when the computer source code is required to be kept or maintained by law for the
being time in force, shall be punishable with imprisonment up to three year, or
with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both.
Explanation: For the purpose of this section ‗computer source code‘ means the
listing of programmes, computer commands, design and layout and programme
analysis of computer resource in any form.
Object: The object of the section is to protect the ‗intellectual property‘ invested in
the computer. It is an attempt to protect the computer source documents (codes)
beyond what is available under the Copyright Law.
Essential ingredients of the section
1. Knowingly or intentionally concealing,
2. Knowingly or intentionally destroying,
3. Knowingly or intentionally altering,
4. Knowingly or intentionally causing others to conceal,
5. Knowingly or intentionally causing another to destroy,
6. Knowingly or intentionally causing another to alter.
This section extends towards the Copyright Act and helps the companies to protect
their source code of their programmes.
Penalties: Section 65 is tried by any magistrate.
This is cognizable and non-bailable offence.
Penalties: Imprisonment up to 3 years and / or
Fine: Two lakh rupees.
Case Laws
i. Frios v/s State of Kerala
Facts: In this case it was declared that the FRIENDS application software as
protected system. The author of the application challenged the notification and the
constitutional validity of software under Section 70. The court upheld the validity
of both.
It included tampering with source code. Computer source code the electronic form,
it can be printed on paper.
Held: The court held that tampering with Source code are punishable with three
years jail and or two lakh rupees fine of rupees two lakh rupees for altering,
concealing and destroying the source code.
ii. Syed Asifuddin Case
76
Facts: In this case the Tata Indicom employees were arrested for manipulation of
the electronic 32- bit number (ESN) programmed into cell phones theft were
exclusively franchised to Reliance Infocom.
Held: Court held that Tampering with source code invokes Section 65 of the
Information Technology Act.
iii. Parliament Attack Case
Facts: In this case several terrorist attacked on 13 December, 2001 Parliament
House. In this the Digital evidence played an important role during their
prosecution. The accused argued that computers and evidence can easily be
tampered and hence should not be relied.
In Parliament case several smart device storage disks and devices, a Laptop were
recovered from the truck intercepted at Srinagar pursuant to information given by
two suspects. The laptop included the evidence of fake identity cards, video files
containing clips of the political leaders with the background of Parliament in the
background shot from T.V news channels. In this case design of Ministry of Home
Affairs car sticker, there was game ‗wolf pack‘ with user name of ―Ashiq‖. There
was the name in one of the fake identity cards used by the terrorist. No back up
was taken therefore it was challenged in the Court.
Held: Challenges to the accuracy of computer evidence should be established by
the challenger. Mere theoretical and generic doubts cannot be cast on the evidence.
5.4.2 Section66: Hacking with the computer system
(1) Whoever with the intent to cause or knowing that he is likely to cause wrongful
loss or damage to the public or any person destroys or deletes or alters any
information residing in a computer resource or diminishes its value or utility or
affects it injuriously by any means, commits hacking.
(2) Whoever commits hacking shall be punished with imprisonment up to three
years, or with fine which may extend up to two lakh rupees, or with both.
Explanation: The section tells about the hacking activity.
Essential ingredients of the section:
1. Whoever with intention or knowledge.
2. Causing wrongful loss or damage to the public or any person.
3. Destroying or altering any information residing in a computer resource.
4. Or diminishes its value or utility or.
5. Affects it injuriously by any means.
77
Penalties: Punishment: Imprisoned up to three years and
Fine: This may extend up to two lakh rupees or with both.
Case Laws:
1. R v/s Gold & Schifreen
In this case it is observed that the accused gained access to the British telecom
Prestly Gold computers networks file amount to dishonest trick and not criminal
offence.
2. R v/s Whiteley.
In this case the accused gained unauthorized access to the Joint Academic Network
(JANET) and deleted, added files and changed the passwords to deny access to the
authorized users.
The perspective of the section is not merely protect the information but to protect
the integrity and security of computer resources from attacks by unauthorized
person seeking to enter such resource, whatever may be the intention or motive.
Cases Reported In India:
Official website of Maharashtra government hacked.
The official website of the government of Maharashtra was hacked by Hackers
Cool Al- Jazeera, and claimed them they were from Saudi Arabia.
5.4.3 Section 67: Publishing of obscene information in electronic form
Whoever publishes or transmits or causes to be published in the electronic form,
any material which is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest or if its effect is
such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all
relevant circumstance, to read see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it,
shall be punished on first conviction with imprisonment of either description for a
term which may extend to five years and with fine which may extend to one lakh
rupees and in the event of a second or subsequent conviction with imprisonment of
either description for a term which may extend to ten years and also with fine
which may extend to two lakh rupees.
Essential ingredients of this section:
Publishing or transmitting, or causing to be published, pornographic material in
electronic form.
Penalties: Punishment:
On first conviction- imprisonment which may extend up to five years.
Fine: up to on first conviction which may extend to one lakh rupees.
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On second conviction- imprisonment up to which may extend to ten years and Fine
which may extend up to two lakh rupees.
Case Laws
1. The State of Tamil Nadu v/s Suhas Katti.
Facts: This case is about posting obscene, defamatory and annoying message
about a divorcee woman in the Yahoo message group. E-mails were forwarded to
the victim for information by the accused through a false e- mail account opened
by him in the name of the victim. These postings resulted in annoying phone calls
to the lady. Based on the complaint police nabbed the accused. He was a known
family friend of the victim and was interested in marrying her. She married to
another person, but that marriage ended in divorce and the accused started
contacting her once again. And her reluctance to marry him he started harassing
her through internet.
Held: The accused is found guilty of offences under section 469, 509 IPC and 67
of IT Act 2000 and the accused is convicted and is sentenced for the offence to
undergo RI for 2 years under 469 IPC and to pay fine of Rs.500/-and for the
offence u/s 509 IPC sentenced to undergo 1 year Simple imprisonment and to pay
fine of Rs.500/- and for the offence u/s 67 of IT Act 2000 to undergo RI for 2 years
and to pay fine of Rs.4000/- All sentences to run concurrently.‘
The accused paid fine amount and he was lodged at Central Prison, Chennai. This
is considered the first case convicted under section 67 of Information Technology
Act 2000 in India.
In a recent case, a groom's family received numerous emails containing defamatory
information about the prospective bride. Fortunately, they did not believe the
emails and chose to take the matter to the police. The sender of the emails turned
out to be the girl's step-father, who did not want the girl to get married, as he would
have lost control over her property, of which he was the legal guardian.
2. Avnish Bajaj (CEO of bazzee.com – now a part of the eBay group of
companies) case.
Facts: There were three accused first is the Delhi school boy and IIT Kharagpur
Ravi Raj and the service provider Avnish Bajaj.
The law on the subject is very clear. The sections slapped on the three accused
were Section 292 (sale, distribution, public exhibition, etc., of an obscene object)
79
and Section 294 (obscene acts, songs, etc., in a public place) of the Indian Penal
Code (IPC), and Section 67 (publishing information which is obscene in electronic
form) of the Information Technology Act 2000. In addition, the schoolboy faces a
charge under Section 201 of the IPC (destruction of evidence), for there is
apprehension that he had destroyed the mobile phone that he used in the episode.
These offences invite a stiff penalty, namely, imprisonment ranging from two to
five years, in the case of a first time conviction, and/or fines.
Held: In this case the Service provider Avnish Bajaj was later acquitted and the
Delhi school boy was granted bail by Juvenile Justice Board and was taken into
police charge and detained into Observation Home for two days.
3. DASKHINA Kannada police have solved the first case of cyber crime in the
district.
A press release by Dakshina Kannada Police said here on Saturday that a Father at
a Christian institution in the city had approached the Superintendent of Police with
a complaint that he was getting offensive and obscene e-mails.
Police said that all the three admitted that they had done this to tarnish the image of
the Father. As the three tendered an unconditional apology to the Father and gave a
written undertaking that they would not repeat such act in future, the complainant
withdrew his complaint. Following this, the police dropped the charges against the
culprit.
The release said that sending of offensive and obscene e-mails is an offence under
the Indian Information Technology Act 2000. If the charges are framed.
5.4.4 Section 68: Power of controller to give directions
 The Controller may, by order, direct a Certifying Authority or any employee
of such Authority to take such measures or cease carrying on such activities as
specified in the order if those are necessary to ensure compliance with the
provisions of this Act, rules or any regulations made there under.
 Any person who fails to comply with any order under sub-section (1) shall be
guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term
not exceeding three years or to a fine not exceeding two lakh rupees or to both.
Explanation: Any person who fails to comply with any order under sub section (1)
of the above section, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be convicted for a term
not less than three years or to a fine exceeding two lakh rupees or to both.
80
The under this section is non-bailable& cognizable.
Penalties:
Punishment: imprisonment up to a term not exceeding three years
Fine: not exceeding two lakh rupees.
5.4.5 Section 69: Directions of Controller to a subscriber to extend
facilities to decrypt information
1. If the Controller is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do in the
interest of the sovereignty or integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly
relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the
commission of any cognizable offence; for reasons to be recorded in writing, by
order, direct any agency of the Government to intercept any information
transmitted through any computer resource.
2. The subscriber or any person in charge of the computer resource shall, when
called upon by any agency which has been directed under sub-section (1), extend
all facilities and technical assistance to decrypt the information.
3. The subscriber or any person who fails to assist the agency referred to in sub
section (2) shall be punished with an imprisonment for a term which may extend to
seven years.
Penalties: Punishment: imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years.
The offence is cognizable and non- bailable.
5.4.6 Section 70: Protected System
 The appropriate Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
declare that any computer, computer system or computer network to be a protected
system.
 The appropriate Government may, by order in writing, authorize the persons
who are authorized to access protected systems notified under sub-section (1).
 Any person who secures access or attempts to secure access to a protected
system in contravention of the provision of this section shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years and
shall also be liable to fine.
Explanation: This section grants the power to the appropriate government to
declare any computer, computer system or computer network, to be a protected
system. Only authorized person has the right to access to protected system.
81
Penalties: Punishment: the imprisonment which may extend to ten years and fine.
5.4.7 Section 71: Penalty for misrepresentation
Whoever makes any misrepresentation to, or suppresses any material fact from, the
Controller or the Certifying Authority for obtaining any license or Digital
Signature Certificate, as the case may be, shall be punished with imprisonment for
a term which may extend to two years, or which fine which may extend to one lakh
rupees, or with both.
Penalties:
Punishment: imprisonment which may extend to two years
Fine: may extend to one lakh rupees or with both.
5.4.8 Section 72: Penalty for breach of confidentiality and privacy
Save as otherwise provide in this Act or any other law for the time being in force,
any person who, in pursuance of any of the powers conferred under this Act, rules
or regulation made there under, has secured access to any electronic record, book,
register, correspondence, information, document or other material without the
consent of the person concerned discloses such material to any other person shall
be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with
fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both.
Explanation: This section relates to any to any person who in pursuance of any of
the powers conferred by the Act or it allied rules and regulations has secured
access to any: Electronic record, books, register, correspondence, information,
document, or other material.
If such person discloses such information, he will be punished with punished. It
would not apply to disclosure of personal information of a person by a website, by
his email service provider.
Penalties:
Punishment: term which may extend to two years.
Fine: one lakh rupees or with both.
5.4.9 Section 73: Penalty for publishing Digital Signature Certificate
false in certain particulars
1. No person shall publish a Digital Signature Certificate or otherwise make it
available to any other person with the knowledge that-
 The Certifying Authority listed in the certificate has not issued it; or
82
 The subscriber listed in the certificate has not accepted it; or
 The certificate has been revoked or suspended, unless such publication is for
the purpose of verifying a digital signature created prior to such suspension or
revocation.
2. Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be
punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with
fine which may extend to one lakh rupees, or with both.
Explanation: The Certifying Authority listed in the certificate has not issued it or,
The subscriber listed in the certificate has not accepted it or the certificate has been
revoked or suspended.
The Certifying authority may also suspend the Digital Signature Certificate if it is
of the opinion that the digital signature certificate should be suspended in public
interest.
A digital signature may not be revoked unless the subscriber has been given
opportunity of being heard in the matter. On revocation the Certifying Authority
need to communicate the same with the subscriber. Such publication is not an
offence it is the purpose of verifying a digital signature created prior to such
suspension or revocation.
Penalties:
Punishment: imprisonment of a term of which may extend to two years.
Fine: fine may extend to 1 lakh rupees or with both
Case Laws:
Bennett Coleman & Co. v/s Union of India.
In this case the publication has been stated that ―publication means dissemination
and circulation‖. In the context of digital medium, the term publication includes
and transmission of information or data in electronic form.
5.4.10 Section 74: Publication for fraudulent purpose
Whoever knowingly creates publishes or otherwise makes available a Digital
Signature Certificate for any fraudulent or unlawful purpose shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which extend
to one lakh rupees, or with both.
Explanation: This section prescribes punishment for the following acts:
Knowingly creating a digital signature certificate for any
83
 Fraudulent purpose or,
 Unlawful purpose.
Knowingly publishing a digital signature certificate for any
 Fraudulent purpose or
 Unlawful purpose
Knowingly making available a digital signature certificate for any
 Fraudulent purpose or
 Unlawful purpose.
Penalties:
Punishment: imprisonment for a term up to two years.
Fine: up to one lakh or both.
5.4.11 Section 75: Act to apply for offence or contravention
committed outside India
1) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), the provisions of this Act shall
apply also to any offence or contravention committed outside India by any person
irrespective of his nationality.
2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), this Act shall apply to an offence or
Contravention committed outside India by any person if the act or conduct
constituting the offence or contravention involves a computer, computer system or
computer network located in India.
Explanation: This section has broader perspective including cybercrime,
committed by cyber criminals, of any nationality, any territoriality.
Case Laws:
R v/s Governor of Brixton prison and another.
Facts: In this case the Citibank faced the wrath of a hacker on its cash management
system, resulting in illegal transfer of funds from customers account in to the
accounts of the hacker, later identified as Vladimir Levin and his accomplices.
After Levin was arrested he was extradite to the United States. One of the most
important issues was jurisdictional issue, the ―place of origin‖ of the cybercrime.
Held: The Court held that the real- time nature of the communication link between
Levin and Citibank computer meant that Levin‖s keystrokes were actually
occurring on the Citibank computer.
84
It is thus important that in order to resolve the disputes related to jurisdiction, the
issue of territoriality and nationality must be placed by a much broader criteria
embracing principles of reasonableness and fairness to accommodate overlapping
or conflicting interests of states, in spirit of universal jurisdiction.
5.4.12 Section 76: Confiscation
Any computer, computer system, floppies, compact disks, tape drives or any other
accessories related thereto, in respect of which any provisions of this Act, rules,
orders or regulations made there under has been or is being contravened, shall be
liable to confiscation :
Provided that where it is established to the satisfaction of the court adjudicating the
confiscation that the person in whose possession, power or control of any such
computer, computer system, floppies, compact disks, tape drives or any other
accessories relating thereto is found is not responsible for the contravention of the
provisions of this Act, rules orders or regulations made there under, the court may,
instead of making an order for confiscation of such computer, computer system,
floppies, compact disks, tape drives or any other accessories related thereto, make
such other order authorized by this Act against the person contravening of the
provisions of this Act, rules, orders or regulations made there under as it may think
fit.
Explanation: The aforesaid section highlights that all devices whether computer,
computer system, floppies, compact disks, tape drives or any other storage,
communication, input or output device which helped in the contravention of any
provision of this Act, rules, orders, or regulations made under there under liable to
be confiscated.
5.4.13 Section 77: Penalties or confiscation not to interfere with other
punishments
No penalty imposed or confiscation made under this Act shall prevent the
imposition of any other punishment to which the person affected thereby is liable
under any other law for the time being in force.
Explanation: The aforesaid section lays down a mandatory condition, which states
the Penalties or confiscation not to interfere with other punishments to which the
person affected thereby is liable under any other law for the time being in force.
5.4.14 Section 78: Power to investigate offences
85
Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, a
police officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police shall
investigate any offence under this Act.
Explanation: The police officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of
police shall investigate the offence.
Conclusion:
Due to the increase in the digital technology various offences has also increased.
Since new-new technology come every day, the offences has also increased
therefore the IT Act 2000 need to be amended in order to include those offences
which are now not included in the Act.
In India cybercrime is of not of high rate therefore we have time in order to tighten
the cyber laws and include the offences which are now not included in the IT Act
2000.
Rehabilitation
Though it has many advantages, it has been misused by many people in order to
gain themselves or for sake or otherwise to harm others. The high and speedier
connectivity to the world from any place has developed many crimes and these
increased offences led to the need of law for protection. Some countries have been
rather been vigilant and formed some laws governing the net. In order to keep in
pace with the changing generation, the Indian Parliament passed the law ---
Information Technology Act 2000. The IT Act 2000 has been conceptualized on
the United Nations Commissions on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model
Law.
5.6 Summary
The high and speedier connectivity to the world from any place has developed
many crimes and these increased offences led to the need of law for protection.
Some countries have been rather been vigilant and formed some laws governing
the net. In order to keep in pace with the changing generation, the Indian
Parliament passed the law Information Technology Act 2000.Cyber offences are
the unlawful acts which are carried in a very sophisticated manner in which either
86
the computer is the tool or target or both. The increase rate of technology in
computers has led to enactment of Information Technology Act 2000.
5.7 References
1. Criminal Liability for misuse of information technology by Seth Associates
(Advocates & Legal Consultants), retrieved from
http://www.sethassociates.com/criminal-liability-for-misuse-of-information-
technology.html
2. Offences and Penalties under the Information Technology Act, 2000 by
Pradnya (November 17, 2010); retrieved from
http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/offences-&-penalties-under-the-
it-act-2000-439-1.html
1. _____________________________ is a full form of UNCITRAL Model
Law.
2. Hacking with computer system described in ________________ of IT, Act
2000.
3. Section 67 describes publishing of _________________ in electronic form.
4. ___________________ able to direct a certifying authority or any employee
of such authority for taking measures.
5. Penalty for misrepresentation is discussed in ___________.
1. United Nations Commissions on International Trade Law
2. Section 66
3. Obscene information
4. The controller
5. Section 71
1. Discuss section-66 and section-67 in detail.
2. What are the different sections of IT Act, 2000 which deals with offences?
3. What are the criminal liabilities for misusing information technology?
4. What do you mean by offences? Discuss in context of IT Act, 2000.
5. Describe some case laws of privacy and pornography.
87
Unit-6
Civil Liabilities under I.T. Act, 2000
Objectives:
 What is civil liability under Information Technology
 What is Data Protection?
 What is pre censorship?
 How Adjudication is done.
Structure
_______________________________________________________________________
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Accrued liability and procedural law
6.3 Data Protection
6.4 Pre-censorship
6.5 Privacy and surveillance
6.6 Civil Liability for Corporate
6.7 Adjudication
6.8 Evidence
6.10 Summary
6.11 References
______________________________________________________________________
6.1 Introduction
The Information Technology Act, 2000 basically deals with the legal recognition
of electronic documents and that of digital signatures. This Act incorporates a
separate Chapter XI entitled ‗Offences‘ to deal with various cybercrimes and
contraventions. This act also deals with Justice dispensation systems for various
88
cybercrimes. The act was widely criticized on various fronts and due this criticism
detailed amendments were brought in the form of IT Amendment Act, 2008. Major
of such amendments were the focus on data privacy and information security. Even
though legal recognition of digital signatures was already included under the
original Act of 2000, but the Amendment Act, 2008 made the digital signature
technology-neutral. Along with, the defining of reasonable security practices to be
followed by the Corporate, the role of intermediaries was also redefined. Very
importantly, the term ‗cyber cafe‘ was defined under this Act. Offences like child
pornography and cyber terrorism were also included is the forms of cybercrimes.
Cyber terrorism has been made a heinous cybercrime under this Act and has been
defined in the widest possible terms and made punishable with imprisonment
which may extend to imprisonment for life and fine.51
An important change that has been brought forth by the Amendment Act is that the
new amendment has replaced Section 43 with Section 66. Under Section 66 the
Word ‗hacking‘ has been removed, but that does not mean that ‗hacking‘ as an
offence has been removed; instead hacking still remains an offence by the name of
‗data theft‘ in this section. This section has further been widened in the form of
Sections 66A to 66F. 66A deals with the sending of offensive messages through
communication service, and causing annoyance to any electronic communication,
and also includes the offence of misleading the recipient of the origin of such
messages. Such offences can be punished with imprisonment for 3 years or fine.
66B deals with dishonestly receiving stolen computers or other communication
device and such a crime can be punished with three years of imprisonment or fine
of Rs.1 Lakh or both. 66C deals with stealing electronic signature or identity such
as using another persons‖ password or electronic signature, such an offence can be
punished with three years of imprisonment or fine of Rs. 1 lakh or both. Similar is
the punishment under section 66D for cheating by personating through computer
resource or a communication device. 66E covers the offences relating to privacy
violation such as publicly publishing the information about any person‖s location
without prior permission or consent. 66F is great importance as it deals with cyber
terrorism. This Section covers a wide range of offences which can be termed as
51
Introduction to Cyber Crimes in India by VakilNo.1; retrieved from http://www.vakilno1.com/legalviews/cyber-crimes-in-
india.html
89
terrorism; Such as, any act denying access to any authorized person to access the
computer in order to hamper the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of the
nation. Further, this section also includes the acts of access to a commuter resource
without authorization. It also covers such acts which can lead to any injury to any
person or result in damage or destruction of any property, while trying to
contaminate the computer through any virus like Trojan etc. All the offences that
are covered under this Section can be punished with life imprisonment. Very
importantly, the offences which are covered under section 66 are cognizable and
non-bailable.
The major transformation from section 43 of the original act to Section 66 of the
Amendment Act is that, that all the offences that were covered under Section 43
gave rise to civil liability which had its remedy in either compensation or damages.
But under Section 66 of the Amendment Act if such act is done with criminal
intention that is mensrea, then it will attract criminal liability having remedy in
imprisonment or fine or both. Moreover, under Sections 71, 72, 73 of the
Information Technology Act 2000 some acts or omissions have been made
criminally liable with strict liability e.g. Penalty for breach of confidentiality and
privacy, penalty for misrepresentation etc. Section 67 of the original Act dealt with
publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form but the scope of this
section was widened by the amendment which included child pornography under
section 67-B and also the act of retention of records by the intermediaries. And
such offences under section 67-A will be punished with conviction of a term up to
3 years and fine of Rs.5 lakh and in case it is the second conviction then conviction
will be for five years and fine of Rs.10 Lack or both. But for offence under section
67-B the provision is for stricter conviction which is for 5 years and fine of Rs. 10
Lakh or both in case of first conviction, and the same will be increased to 7 years
and fine of Rs. 10 lakh in case of second conviction.52
The ITA has sought to address and improve aspects such as technology neutrality,
data protection, phishing and spam, child pornography, the liability of
intermediaries and cyber terrorism. While many of these amendments are a step in
the right direction, the actual drafting that implements the high level objectives
suffers in many respects. For example, the previous emphasis on ―digital
52
Introduction to Cyber Crimes in India by VakilNo.1; retrieved from http://www.vakilno1.com/legalviews/cyber-crimes-in-
india.html
90
signatures‖ has shifted to the technologically neutral ―electronic signatures‖ but the
changes have not been carried out thoroughly enough to expunge the old concept
entirely. The current law is a bit of an abnormal document in that it contains
elements of both concepts, which some attention to detail could easily have
averted. Another example is that the provisions meant to combat spam and
phishing end up using the dreaded ―annoyance‖ and ―inconvenience‖ terminology
with the effect of casting the net of criminality over far more than is appropriate.
For example, mail sent with the purpose of causing ―annoyance‖ or
―inconvenience‖ (not exactly the worst offence in the offline world) could put
someone behind bars.
An important set of well-intentioned but woefully inadequate provisions are those
relating to the protection of data. The absence of a specific law on data protection
had, in itself, garnered much criticism both within the country as well as in the
context of international transactions and outsourcing. The old Act offered the
feeble protection of a single provision (section 43) that dealt with unauthorized
access and damage to data. In an attempt to meet industry demands and
international market standards, the ITA introduced two sections that address civil
and criminal sanctions. While this exercise understandably falls far short of a
comprehensive law relating to data (being squeezed into an omnibus piece of
technology related legislation, rather than one geared up only to deal with data),
there was considerable anticipation of its role in papering over the existing cracks
and provide a workable, if temporary, data protection regime.53
6.2 Accrued liability and procedural law54

The concept of ‗accrued liability‘ applies only to ‗substantive laws‘ and not to
‗procedural laws‘ as no one can claim a ‗vested right‘ in the procedure. In India
we have both ‗substantive‘ and ‗procedural‘ laws. The Indian Penal Code and
Information Technology Act are ‗substantive laws‘ whereas the Indian Evidence
Act, Criminal Procedure Code and Civil procedure Code are ‗procedural laws‘.
Thus, by a retrospective law the procedure can be amended, changed or even
53
Civil Liberties and the amended Information Technology Act, 2000; The Centre for Internet & Society; retrieved from
http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/information-technology-act
54
Criminal Liability Under Changed Law by Praveen Dalal; retrieved from
http://www.naavi.org/cl_editorial_04/praveen_dalal/criminal_jan11.htm
91
repealed. Similarly, the protection of Article 20(1) is available for and can be
seeked against ‗criminal matters‖ only and it do not extend to ‗civil matters‘.
Thus, a ‗civil liability‘ can be enhanced with retrospective effect.
6.3 Data Protection

Section 43A of IT Act deals with the aspect of compensation for failure to protect
data. The Central Government has not prescribed the term 'sensitive personal data,'
nor has it prescribed a ‗standard and reasonable security practice‘. Until these
prescriptions are made, data is afforded security and protection only as may be
specified in an agreement between the parties or as may be specified in any law.
However, Explanation (ii) to Section 43A is worded in such a way that there is
lack of clarity whether it would be possible for banks, (or anybody corporate) to
enter into agreement which stipulate standards lesser than those prescribed by
Central Government and in the event of the contradiction (between the standards
prescribed by the Central Government and those in the agreement) which would
prevail. Whether a negligence or mala fide on the part of the customer would make
the financial institution liable for no fault of it or whether by affording too much
protection to banks, a customer is made to suffer are the two extremes of the
situation. The need is for striking a balance between consumer protection and
protection of the banks from liability due to no fault of theirs. Apart from affording
protection to personal data (‗sensitive personal data‖- 43A), the IT Act, 2000 also
prescribes civil and criminal liabilities (Section 43 and Section 66 respectively) to
any person who without the permission of the owner or any other person who is in
charge of a computer, computer system etc., inter alia, downloads, copies or
extracts any data or damages or causes to be damaged any computer data base etc.
In this context Section 72 and 72A of the amended IT Act, 2000 are also of
relevance. Section 72 of the Act prescribes the punishment if any person who, in
pursuance of the powers conferred under the IT Act, 2000, has secured access to
any electronic record, information etc. and without the consent of the person
concerned discloses such information to any other person then he shall be punished
with imprisonment upto two years or with fine upto one lakh or with both. Section
72A on the other hand provides the punishment for disclosure by any person,
including an intermediary, in breach of lawful contract. The purview of Section
92
72A is wider than section 72 and extends to disclosure of personal information of a
person (without consent) while providing services under a lawful contract and not
merely disclosure of information obtained by virtue of ―powers granted under IT
Act, 2000‖.55
However, the attempt is such a limited one, and so replete with shortcomings that
the need for a ―proper‖ data protection law still stands. Given the proposed
initiation of the UID scheme, in particular, there is a compelling need for a robust
and intelligent law in this regard. Most other countries‖ regimes clearly do at least
the following:
 Define and classify types of data (for example, in most European
countries, ―personal data‖ is any data that identifies an individual, ―sensitive
personal data‖ is data that reveals details of ethnicity, religion, health, sexuality,
political opinion, etc.),
 Fine-tune the nature of protection to the categories of data (i.e., greater
standards of care around sensitive personal data),
 Apply equally to data stored offline and manually as to data stored on
computer systems,
 Distinguish between a data controller (i.e., one who takes decisions as to
data) and a data processor (i.e., one who processes data on the instructions of the
data controller),
 Impose clear restrictions on the manner of data collection (for example,
must be obtained fairly and lawfully),
 Give clear guidelines on the purposes for which that data can be put to
and by whom (often involving a consent requirement that gives the individual a
great degree of control over their data),
 Require certain standards and technical measures around the collection,
storage, access to, protection, retention and destruction of data,
 Ensure that the use of data is adequate, relevant and not excessive given
the purpose for which it was gathered,
55
Chapter-9 Legal Issues by Reserve Bank of India; retrieved from
http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/PublicationReportDetails.aspx?ID=624
93
 Cater for opt-in and opt-out type regimes, again to provide individuals
with a measure of control over the use of their data even after the stage of initial
collection (which has a huge impact on invasive telemarketing or unsolicited
written communication)
 Impose a knowledge requirement and procedures for allowing
individuals to seek information on what data is held on them, and
 Create safeguards and penalties that are well tailored to breaches of any
of the above.
Unfortunately, and perhaps understandably, the ITA barely begins to scratch the
surface of what a good data protection regime entails. The provisions that it does
introduce (sections 43-A and 72-A) have glaring inadequacies. Briefly:
 The term ―sensitive personal data or information‖ is used indiscriminately
without any definition,
 The provisions only cover electronic data and records, not data stored in
non-electronic systems or media,
 They offer no guidance on most of the principles set out above such as in
relation to accuracy, adequacy, consent, purpose, etc.,
 In the absence of the controller-processor distinction, liability is imposed
on persons, who are not necessarily in a position to control data, even if it is in
their possession,
 Civil liability for data breaches only arises where ―negligence‖ is
involved (i.e., failure to have security procedures or failure to implement them
correctly will not automatically result in damages unless negligence is proven),
 Similarly, criminal liability only applies to cases of information obtained
in the context of a service contract, and requires an element of ―willfulness‖, or a
disclosure without consent or in breach of a lawful contract – this is a very limited
remit aimed largely at preventing disgruntled or unscrupulous employees from
dealing in company/customer data.
 In addition to the criticisms leveled at the data protection provisions, the other
large subset of concerns has been in relation to the civil liberties implications of
the ITA. There has been some horror expressed in various forums and media about
94
the ITA contributing to the growth of a police state, to severe curtailment of the
freedom of speech and expression, to the invasion of privacy, and to the
disproportionate severity of penalization for offences that are placed on crimes
committed in cyberspace compared to crimes committed in the hear and now.
Sadly, this is true to a large extent given the clunky treatment of ―cyber terrorism‖,
the intolerable pre-censorship that is enabled by the blocking of websites, the broad
approach to the monitoring and collection of data, and the demanding obligations
of intermediaries to cooperate with interception, monitoring and decryption of data
for poorly defined reasons.
 While our Constitution‖s fundamental rights chapter, which enshrines
certain basic, democratic, and profound rights, might not have the same vocabulary
of due process as we see in the US, it nevertheless requires restrictions to be
reasonable. Precedents and the wider jurisprudence in the field have further
developed the concepts of checks and balances, procedural safeguards and
legitimacy of restraints that a functioning democracy like India must accord to its
people. It can be argued that several provisions of the ITA cause significant tension
with the right to freedom of speech and expression, the right against self-
incrimination, the right to equality before the law, and the right to practice a trade
or profession.
6.4 Pre-censorship
Some of the most excessive provisions relate to the free hand with which public
access to websites can be blocked. Previously, there was some hope that the rules
yet to be formulated in connection with section 69-A would offer some procedural
safeguards. The recently notified rules do contain details – in the bureaucratese that
we have come to expect – of the process to be followed by the designated
functionaries. They also permit the concerned person or intermediary to submit a
reply and clarifications to the committee before the decision to block access is
taken.
These rules are to a large extent undermined by rule 9 (‗Blocking of
information in cases of emergency‘), which provides that, ‗’in any case of an
emergency nature, for which no delay is acceptable’‘, the process will turn into
an internal escalation within the department of IT and interim directions relating to
95
blocking access may be issued without giving (him) an opportunity of hearing.
There are those who think that, given the events of 26/11, this is wholly justified
but the prospect of abuse fills others with dread. The rules may offer detailed time-
frames within which orders are made and approved, require reasons to be recorded
in writing, provide that emergency orders may be revoked and information
unblocked, etc. Regardless, the nature of the process (executive rather than
judicial), the ease with which it can be abused, and the fact that the review
committee will only meet once in two months to check for compliance, set aside
incorrect orders and unblock information, does not offer much comfort. If a site is
incorrectly blocked, it could take up to two months for this to be rectified, which
could cause a great damage to the owner of the site, and indeed to the wider public
that has an interest in uncensored, free speech.
Given that any person can submit a request, it is not unreasonable to anticipate a
certain level of frivolous and malicious requests for blocking sites, especially given
that the grounds for blocking are very wide (the often repeated set that we are
familiar with, namely, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India; relating
to defence of India/ security of State/ friendly relations with foreign states/ public
order and for preventing incitement to commission of any cognizable offences).
Without a review committee constantly monitoring and policing the unbridled use
of the provisions, the backlog of blocking decisions that may need to be reversed
can become a mountain very quickly. The dangers of pre-censorship and the
curtailment of dialogue, debate and free speech are even greater in a country with
an increasingly thin-skinned populace. Faced with a volatile backdrop of great
diversity of religion, political opinions, views on sexuality, morality, obscenity and
other highly subjective values and beliefs, there is immense extra-legal pressure on
free speech. Thus, there is now a need for greater vigilance so that the thought
police do not wield the stick of harsh penalties under the ITA without reason and
due process.
6.5 Privacy and surveillance

This topic pulls together concerns around the blanket monitoring and
collecting of traffic data or information, the interception and decryption (under
duress) by intermediaries (now a large superset of ISPs, search engines, cyber
96
cafes, online auction sites, online market places, etc.) and the wide definition of
―cyber terrorism‖ (which ludicrously even casts defamation as a terrorist activity).
Some of the broad concerns in relation to interception, monitoring and decryption
in (section 69) are that:
 There is no provision for a clear nexus between an intermediary and the
information or resource sought to be monitored or intercepted,
 The usual internationally recognised exception to liability where an
intermediary operates purely as a conduit and has no control over data flowing
through its network is not clearly spelt out,
 The penalties for non-cooperation are extremely harsh, especially given
the absence of a) and b) above,
 These onerous penalties can be said to be in violation of Article 14 as they
seem entirely disproportionate. Similar offences and remedies in the Code of
Criminal Procedure or the Indian Penal Code prescribe less severe penalties, by an
order of magnitude in fact. When the only difference between the offences is the
medium in which information is contained, it seems arbitrary to impose a much
harsher punishment on an online intermediary than on a member of the public who,
for example, furnishes false information to the police in connection with a trial or
enquiry.
 The rules made in relation to monitoring, interception and decryption,
offer some procedural safeguards, in that they impose a time limit on how long a
directive for interception or monitoring can remain in force, a ceiling on how long
data can be kept before it is required to be destroyed, etc. However, the effect of
these is greatly diluted by exceptions ‗for functional requirements‘, etc. The
astonishing irony is that rule 20 requires the intermediary to maintain ‗’extreme
secrecy’‘ and ‗’utmost care and precaution’‘ in the matter of interception,
monitoring or decryption of information ‗’as it affects the privacy of citizens’‘
In a similar vein, there are concerns around the monitoring and
collection of traffic data (Section 69B) as the section contains an unreasonably
long list of grounds for monitoring. These include such extreme excesses as
‗forecasting of imminent cyber incidents‘, ‗monitoring network application with
traffic data or information on computer resource‘, ‗identification and
97
determination of viruses/computer contaminant‘, and the catch-all ‗any other
matter relating to cyber security‘.
Finally, the main criticism of the ITA approach to ―cyber terrorism‖ is the very
wide net that it seeks to cast, looking for a game that has little or nothing to do with
the named offence. Amongst the cast of creatures unwittingly caught during this
fishing expedition, we find some unlikely victims. In addition to the usual grounds
of offence against sovereignty, national security, defence of India, etc., which we
have seen in relation to other sections, the ITA considers the following as acts of
cyber terrorism – broadly speaking, unauthorized access to information that is
likely to cause:
 Injury to decency,
 Injury to morality,
 Injury in relation to contempt of court, and
 Injury in relation to defamation.
This would almost be laughable if these grounds were not enacted into
law, posing a threat to civil liberties by their very existence. Other countries have
some notion of political ideology, religious case, etc. in their view of terrorism.
That (a) to (d) above have been shoehorned into a clause that imposes the stiffest
penalty within the entire ITA (life imprisonment) gives even more cause for
concern.56
6.6 Civil Liability for Corporate57
As mentioned above, anybody corporate who fail to observe data
protection norms may be liable to pay compensation if:
 It is negligent in implementing and maintaining reasonable security
practices, and thereby
 Causes wrongful loss or wrongful gain to any person;
Claims for compensation are to be made to the adjudicating officer
appointed under section 46 of the IT Act.
56
Civil Liberties and the amended Information Technology Act, 2000; The Centre for Internet & Society; retrieved from
http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/information-technology-act
57
Privacy and the Information Technology Act – Do we have the Safeguards for Electronic Privacy? By The Centre for Internet
& Society; retrieved from http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy/safeguards-for-electronic-privacy
98
6.7 Adjudication58
Having dealt with civil offences, the Act then goes on to describe civil remedy to
such offences in the form of adjudication without having to resort to the procedure
of filing a complaint with the police or other investigating agencies. Adjudication
powers and procedures have been elaborately laid down in Sections 46 and
thereafter. The Central Government may appoint any officer not below the rank of
a director to the Government of India or a state Government as the adjudicator. The
I.T. Secretary in any state is normally the nominated Adjudicator for all civil
offences arising out of data thefts and resultant losses in the particular state. If at
all one section can be criticized to be absolutely lacking in popularity in the IT Act,
it is this provision. In the first ten years of existence of the ITA, there have been
only a very few applications made in the nation, that too in the major metros
almost all of which are under different stages of judicial process and adjudications
have been obtained in possibly less than five cases. The first adjudication obtained
under this provision was in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in a case involving ICICI Bank
in which the bank was told to compensate the applicant with the amount
wrongfully debited in Internet Banking, along with cost and damages.
This section should be given much popularity and awareness should be spread
among the public especially the victims of cybercrimes and data theft that such a
procedure does exist without recourse to going to the police and filing a case. It is
time the state spends some time and thought in enhancing awareness on the
provision of adjudication for civil offences in cyber litigations like data theft etc.
so that the purpose for which such useful provisions have been made, are
effectively utilized by the litigant public.
There is an appellate procedure under this process and the composition of Cyber
Appellate Tribunal at the national level, has also been described in the Act. Every
adjudicating officer has the powers of a civil court and the Cyber Appellate
Tribunal has the powers vested in a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure.
6.8 Evidences59
58
Cyber Laws in India (.pdf); retrieved from http://www.iibf.org.in/documents/Cyber-Laws-chapter-in-Legal-Aspects-Book.pdf
59
Cyber Laws in India (.pdf); retrieved from http://www.iibf.org.in/documents/Cyber-Laws-chapter-in-Legal-Aspects-Book.pdf
99
Evidences are a major concern in cybercrimes. Pat of evidences is the ―crime
scene‖ issues. In cybercrime, there is no cybercrime. We cannot mark a place nor a
computer nor a network, nor seize the hard-disk immediately and keep it under
lock and key keep it as an exhibit taken from the crime scene.
Very often, nothing could be seen as a scene in cybercrime. The
evidences, the data, the network and the related gadgets along with of course the
log files and trail of events emanating or recorded in the system are actually the
crime scene. While filing cases under IT Act, be it as a civil case in the
adjudication process or a criminal complaint filed with the police, many often,
evidences may lie in some system like the intermediaries‖ computers or some times
in the opponent‖s computer system too. In all such cases, unless the police swing
into action swiftly and seize the systems and capture the evidences, such vital
evidences could be easily destroyed. In fact, if one knows that his computer is
going to be seized, he would immediately go for destruction of evidences
(formatting, removing the history, removing the cookies, changing the registry and
user login set ups, reconfiguring the system files etc.) since most of the computer
history and log files are volatile in nature.
There is no major initiative in India on common repositories of
electronic evidences by which in the event of any dispute (including civil) the
affected computer may be handed over to a common trusted third party with proper
software tools, who may keep a copy of the entire disk and return the original to
the owner, so that he can keep using it at will and the copy will be produced as
evidence whenever required. For this there are software tools like ―Encase‖ with a
global recognition and our own C-DAC tools which are available with much
retrieval facilities, search features without giving any room for further writing and
preserving the original version with date stamp for production as evidence.
Rehabilitation

When the complaint itself does not make out criminal case to issue the process, to
force the accused to undergo trial would be clear misuse of the process of the Court
and this should not be allowed. The Additional Sessions Judge while rejecting the
revision application dealt with the liability of the contractor on the basis of terms
100
of the contract and the cheque. The learned counsel for the respondent also
contended that the matter was referred to arbitrator and arbitrator also held that the
contractor is liable to pay on the basis of that cheque. As far as civil liability of the
contractor/petitioner is concerned, it is not necessary to look into the same in
present matter.
6.10 Summary
The ITA has sought to address and improve aspects such as technology neutrality,
data protection, phishing and spam, child pornography, the liability of
intermediaries and cyber terrorism. While many of these amendments are a step in
the right direction, the actual drafting that implements the high level objectives
suffers in many respects. The current law is a bit of an abnormal document in that
it contains elements of both concepts, which some attention to detail could easily
have averted.
6.11 References
1. Introduction to Cyber Crimes in India by VakilNo.1; retrieved from
http://www.vakilno1.com/legalviews/cyber-crimes-in-india.html
2. Civil Liberties and the amended Information Technology Act, 2000; The
Centre for Internet & Society; retrieved from http://cis-india.org/internet-
governance/blog/information-technology-act
3. Criminal Liability Under Changed Law by Praveen Dalal; retrieved from
http://www.naavi.org/cl_editorial_04/praveen_dalal/criminal_jan11.htm
4. Chapter-9 Legal Issues by Reserve Bank of India; retrieved from
http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/PublicationReportDetails.aspx?ID=624
5. Privacy and the Information Technology Act – Do we have the Safeguards
for Electronic Privacy? By The Centre for Internet & Society; retrieved from
http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy/safeguards-for-electronic-
privacy
6. Cyber Laws in India (.pdf); retrieved from
http://www.iibf.org.in/documents/Cyber-Laws-chapter-in-Legal-Aspects-Book.pdf
101
1. Adjudication powers and procedures have been elaborately laid down in
____________.
2. _______________ of IT Act deals with the aspect of compensation for
failure to protect data.
3. In India we have both _________ and ___________ laws.
4. ______________ with dishonestly receiving stolen computers or other
communication device.

1. Section 46
2. Section 43A
3. Substantive, procedural.
4. Section 66B

1. Discuss the concept of accrued liability and procedural law.
2. Explain ―data protection‖ in detail.
3. What do you mean by privacy and surveillance?
4. What are the civil liabilities for corporates? Discuss.
5. Describe the term ―pre-censorship‖.
102
Unit-7
Indian Penal Code and Cyber Crimes
Objectives:
 Misuse of Information Technology under Indian Penal Code, 1860
 What is cybercrime and Cyber Law?
 How misuse of Internet and Computers done by Terrorists
Structure
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Misuse of Information Technology under Indian Penal Code, 1860
7.3 Offences covered under IPC and Special Laws
7.4 Section 46 (Power to adjudicate – Adjudicating Officer)
7.5 What is a cybercrime?
7.7 Use of Internet and Computers by Terrorists
7.9 Summary
7.10 References
7.1 Introduction
The Indian Penal Code, 1860
Normally referred to as the IPC, this is a very powerful legislation and probably
the most widely used in criminal jurisprudence, serving as the main criminal code
of India. Enacted originally in 1860 and amended many time since, it covers
almost all substantive aspects of criminal law and is supplemented by other
criminal provisions. In independent India, many special laws have been enacted
103
with criminal and penal provisions which are often referred to and relied upon, as
an additional legal provision in cases which refer to the relevant provisions of IPC
as well.60
The Indian Penal Code was amended by inserting the word 'electronic' thereby
treating the electronic records and documents on a par with physical records and
documents. The Sections dealing with false entry in a record or false document etc
(e.g. 192, 204, 463, 464, 464, 468 to 470, 471, 474, 476 etc) have since been
amended as 'electronic record and electronic document' thereby bringing within the
ambit of IPC. Now, electronic record and electronic documents has been treated
just like physical records and documents during commission of acts of forgery or
falsification of physical records in a crime. After the above amendment, the
investigating agencies file the cases/ charge-sheet quoting the relevant sections
from IPC under section 463,464, 468 and 469 read with the ITA/ITAA under
Sections 43 and 66 in like offences to ensure the evidence and/or punishment can
be covered and proved under either of these or under both legislation.61
7.2 Misuse of Information Technology under Indian Penal

Code, 186062
S.No. Section Offence Name Description Penalty

1. Various The IT Act amends the IPC. The word Imprisonments for terms
sections document now includes an electronic which may extend to 10
record. The result is that anyone using years or with fine or with
forged electronic record or certificates is both.
punishable under the IPC for offences
related to false evidences and
certificates.
2. 120 A Criminal Two or more persons agree to do an Depending on the object of
Conspiracy illegal act or an act by illegal means Conspiracy imprisonment for
themselves or through some other term from 6 months to life
60
Cyber Laws in India retrieved from http://www.iibf.org.in/documents/Cyber-Laws-chapter-in-Legal-Aspects-Book.pdf
61
India: An Overview of Cyber Laws vs. Cyber Crimes: In Indian Perspective by Rohit K. Gupta; retrieved from
http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/257328/Data+Protection+Privacy/An+Overview+Of+Cyber+Laws+vs+Cyber+Crimes+In+Indi
an+Perspective
62
Seth Associates (Advocates & Legal consultants); retrieved from http://www.sethassociates.com/criminal-liability-for-misuse-
of-information-technology.html
104
persons or means. imprisonment with or
without fine.
3. 153 A (1) Promoting enmity By words spoken or written, signs, Imprisonment for a term
between different visible representations or otherwise which may extend to 3 years,
groups attempting to promote or promotion of or with fine or with both.
enmity between different groups on
grounds of religion, race, domicile,
residence, language etc.
4. 292 Sale, etc., of Selling, hiring, distribution, public On first conviction
obscene books, exhibition or putting into circulation of imprisonment up to 2 years
etc. obscene material, taking part or with fine of 2000 Rupees on
receiving profits of such business, second or sequent conviction
advertisement etc. imprisonment up to 5 years
with fine of 5000 Rupees.
5. 295 A Deliberate and Using words, signs or visible Imprisonment for a term
malicious acts, representations with deliberate and which may extend to 3 years,
intended to outrage malicious intention to outrage religious or with fine or with both.
religious feelings feelings of a religious class.
of any class
6. 463 Forgery Making any false electronic record or a Imprisonment for a term
part of it with the intention to cause which may extend to 2 years,
damage or injury to public or any person or with fine or with both.
to commit any fraud or enter into any
express or implied contract.
7. 416 Cheating by Cheating by pretending to be some other Imprisonment for a term
personation person or by knowingly substituting one which may extend to 2 years,
person for another person representing or with fine or with both.
that he or any other person is a person
other he or such other person really is.
Person personated could be a real or
imaginary person.
8. 499 Defamation Whoever by words either spoken or Imprisonment for a term
intended to be read or by signs or by which may extend to 2 years,
visible representations makes or or with fine or with both.
publishes any imputation concerning any
person intending to harm the reputation
of such person is said to defame.
9. 501 Printing or Printing or engraving any matter Imprisonment for a term
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engraving matter knowing or having good reason to which may extend to 2 years,
known to be believe that such matter is defamatory. or with fine or with both.
defamatory
10. 503 Criminal Threatening another with any injury to Imprisonments for a term
Intimidation his person, reputation or property or to which may extend from 2
some person in whom one is interested years till 7 years, with fine or
with the intention to cause alarm to that with both depending on the
person or causing him to do any illegal kind of threat given.
act in order to avoid the threat.
11. 505(1), Statements Making, publishing or circulating any Imprisonment for a term
(2) conducing to rumour or false report about armed which may extend to 3 years,
public mischief forces of India or with intention to create or with fine or with both.
enmity, hatred or ill-will between
classes.
12. 507 Criminal Criminal Intimidation by anonymous Imprisonments for a term
Intimidation by communication or having taken which may extend from 2
anonymous precaution to conceal name and years till 7 years, with fine or
communication whereabouts of the person giving threat. with both depending on the
kind of threat given and 2
years additional
imprisonment.
13. 509 Word, gesture or Utterance of words, making of sound, Imprisonment for a term
act intended to gesture or exhibition of object in order which may extend to 1 year,
insult the modesty to intrude the privacy or insult the or with fine or with both.
of a woman modesty of a woman.
7.3 Offences covered under IPC and Special Laws63
7.3.1 Sending threatening messages by email

Sec.503 IPC
Section 503 Criminal intimidation
Whoever threatens another with any injury to his person, reputation or property, or
to the person or reputation of any one in whom that person is interested, with intent
to cause alarm to that person, or to cause that person to do any act which he is not
63
Alert India.com, retrieved from http://www.alertindian.com/node/5
106
legally bound to do, or to omit to do any act which that person is legally entitled to
do, as the means of avoiding the execution of such threat, commits criminal
intimidation.
Explanation-A threat to insure the reputation of any deceased person in whom the
person threatened is interested, is within this section.
7.3.2 Sending defamatory messages by email
Sec. 499 IPC
Section 499 Defamation
Whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible
representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person
intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation
will harm, the reputation of such person, is said, except in the cases hereinafter
expected, of defame that person.
Explanation 1-It may amount to defamation to impute anything to a deceased
person, if the imputation would harm the reputation of that person if living, and is
intended to be hurtful to the feelings of his family or other near relatives.
Explanation 2-It may amount to defamation to make an imputation concerning a
company or an association or collection of persons as such.
Explanation 3-An imputation in the form of an alternative or expressed ironically,
may amount to defamation.
Explanation 4-No imputation is said to harm a person's reputation, unless that
imputation directly or indirectly, in the estimation of others, lowers the moral or
intellectual character of that person, or lowers the character of that person in
respect of his caste or of his calling, or lowers the credit of that person, or causes it
to be believed that the body of that person is in a loathsome state, or in a state
generally considered as disgraceful.
7.3.3 Forgery of electronic records, Email spoofing
Sec 463, 464, 468, 469 IPC
Section 463 Forgery
Whoever makes any false documents or electronic record part of a document or
electronic record with, intent to cause damage or injury, to the public or to any
person, or to support any claim or title, or to cause any person to part with
107
property, or to enter into any express or implied contract, or with intent to commit
fraud or that fraud may be committed, commits forgery.
Section 464: Making a false document
A person is said to make a false document or false electronic record-
First-Who dishonestly or fraudulently-
a) Makes, signs, seals or executes a document or part of a document;
b) Makes or transmits any electronic record or part of any electronic record;
c) Affixes any digital signature on any electronic record;
d) Makes any mark denoting the execution of a document or the authenticity of
the digital signature,
With the intention of causing it to be believed that such document or part of
document, electronic record or digital signature was made, signed, sealed,
executed, transmitted or affixed by or by the authority of a person by whom or by
whose authority he knows that it was not made, signed, sealed, executed or affixed;
or
Secondly- Who, without lawful authority, dishonestly or fraudulently, by
cancellation or otherwise, alters a document or an electronic record in any material
part thereof, after it has been made, executed or affixed with digital signature either
by himself or by any other person, whether such person be living or dead at the
time of such alteration; or
Thirdly- Who dishonestly or fraudulently causes any person to sign, seal, execute
or alter a document or an electronic record or to affix his digital signature on any
electronic record knowing that such person by reason of unsoundness of mind or
intoxication cannot, or that by reason of deception practiced upon him, he does not
know the contents of the document or electronic record or the nature of the
alterations.
Section 468 Forgery for purpose of cheating
Whoever commits forgery, intending that the 1[document or Electronic Record]
forged shall be used for the purpose of cheating, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years,
and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 469 Forgery for purpose of harming reputation
Whoever commits forgery, 1[intending that the document or Electronic Record
forged] shall harm the reputation of any party, or knowing that it is likely to use for
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that purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term
which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
7.3.4 Bogus websites, cyber frauds
Sec 420 IPC
Section 420 Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property
Whoever cheats and thereby dishonestly induces the person deceived any property
to any person, or to make, alter or destroy the whole or any part of a valuable
security, or anything which is signed or sealed, and which is capable of being
converted into a valuable security, shall be punished with imprisonment of either
description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to
fine.
7.3.5 Web-Jacking
Sec. 383 IPC
Section 383 Extortion
Whoever intentionally puts any person in fear of any injury to that person, or to
any other, and thereby dishonestly induces the person so put in fear to deliver to
any property or valuable security, or anything signed or sealed which may be
converted into a valuable security, commits "extortion".
7.3.6 E-Mail Abuse, Online Defamation
Sec.500, 509 IPC
Section 500 Punishment for defamation
Whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term
which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 509 Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman
Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes
any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound
shall be heard, of that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or
intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
7.3.7 Criminal Intimidation by E-mail or Chat
Sec. 506, 507 IPC
Section 506 Punishment for criminal intimidation
109
Whoever commits, the offence of criminal intimidation shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or
with fine, or with both;
If threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, etc.: -And if the threat be to cause death
or grievous hurt, or to cause the destruction of any property by fire, or to cause an
offence punishable with death or 1[imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to seven years, or to impute, unchastity to a woman,
shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may
extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 507 Criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication
Whoever commits the offence of criminal intimidation by an anonymous
communication, or having taken precaution to conceal the name or abode of the
person form whom the threat comes, shall be punished with imprisonment of either
description for a term which may extend to two years, in addition to the
punishment provided for the offence by the last preceding section.
7.3.8 Online sale of Drugs
-NDPS Act
7.3.9 Online sale of Arms
-Arms Act
7.3.10 Piracy
-Sec. 51, 63, 63 B Copyright act
51. When copyright infringed:- Copyright in a work shall be deemed to be
infringed ---
(a) when any person, without a license granted by the owner of the Copyright or
the Registrar of Copyrights under this Act or in contravention of the conditions of
a license so granted or of any condition imposed by a competent authority under
this Act ---
(i) Does anything, the exclusive right to do which is by this Act conferred upon the
owner of the copyright, or
(ii) Permits for profit any place to be used for the performance of the work in
public where such performance constitutes an infringement of the copyright in the
work unless he was not aware and had no reasonable ground for believing that
such performance would be an infringement of copyright, or
110
(b) When any person ---
(i) Make for sale or hire, or sells or lets for hire, or by way of trade displays or
offers for sale or hire, or
(ii) Distributes either for the purpose of trade or to such an extent as to affect
prejudicially the owner of the copyright, or
(iii) By way of trade exhibits in public, or
(iv) Imports (except for the private and domestic use of the importer) into India,
any infringing copies of the work.
Explanation- For the purposes of this section, the reproduction of a literary,
dramatic, musical or artistic work in the form of a cinematograph film shall be
deemed to be an "infringing copy".
Section 63 Offence of infringement of copyright or other rights conferred by this
Act. Any person who knowingly infringes or abets the infringement of-
(a) The copyright in a work, or
(b) Any other right conferred by this Act, 125[except the right conferred by section
53A]shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than
six months but which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be
less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees :
Provided that where the infringement has not been made for gain in the course of
trade or business the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be mentioned
in the judgement, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than six
months or a fine of less than fifty thousand rupees.
Explanation-Construction of a building or other structure which infringes or which,
if completed, would infringe the copyright in some other work shall not be an
offence under this section.
63A Enhanced penalty on second and subsequent convictions -
Whoever having already been convicted of an offence under section 63 is again
convicted of any such offence shall be punishable for the second and for every
subsequent offence, with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one
year but which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than
one lakh rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees:
Provided that where the infringement has not been made for gain in the course of
trade or business the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be mentioned
in the judgment impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than one year
111
or a fine of less than one lakh rupees: Provided further that for the purposes of this
section, no cognizance shall be taken of any conviction made before the
commencement of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 1984.
63B Knowing use of infringing copy of computer programme to be an offence.
Any person who knowingly makes use on a computer of an infringing copy of a
computer programme shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall
not be less than seven days but which may extend to three years and with fine
which shall not be less than fifty thousand rupees but which may extend to two
lakh rupees:
Provided that where the computer programme has not been used for gain or in the
course of trade or business, the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be
mentioned in the judgment, not impose any sentence of imprisonment and may
impose a fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees."
7.3.11 Obscenity
Sec. 292,293,294 IPC, Indecent Representation of Women Act
Section 292 Sale, etc., or obscene books, etc.
(1) For the purposes of sub-section
(2) a book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting, representation, figure or
any other object, shall be deemed to be obscene if it is lascivious or appeals to the
prurient interest or if its effect, or (where it comprises two or more distinct items)
the effect of any one of its items, is, if taken as a whole, such as to tend to deprave
and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to
read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it.
3(2) Whoever-
(a) Sells, lets to hire, distributes, publicly exhibits or in any manner puts into
circulation, or for purposes of sale, hire, distribution, public exhibition or
circulation, makes, produces or has in his possession any obscene book, pamphlet,
paper, drawing, painting, representation or figure or any other obscene object
whatsoever, or
(b) Imports, exports or conveys any obscene object for any of the purposes
aforesaid, or knowing or having reason to believe that such object will be sold, let
to hire, distributed or publicly exhibited or in any manner put into circulation, or
(c) Takes part in or receives profits from any business in the course of which he
knows or has reason to believe that any such obscene objects are, for any of the
112
purposes aforesaid, made, produced, purchased, kept, imported, exported,
conveyed, publicly exhibited or in any manner put into circulation, or
(d) Advertises or makes known by any means whatsoever that any person is
engaged or is ready to engage in any act which is an offence under this section, or
that any such obscene object can be procured from or through any person, or
(e) Offers or attempts to do any act which is an offence under this section,
Shall be punished 4[on first conviction with imprisonment of either description for
a term which may extend to two years, and with fine which may extend to two
thousand rupees, and, in the event of a second or subsequent conviction, with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and
also with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees.
Exception-This section does not extend to-
(a) Any book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting, representation or
figure-
(i) The publication of which is proved to be justified as being for the public good
on the ground that such book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting,
representation or figure is in the interest of science, literature, art of learning or
other objects of general concern, or
(ii) Which is kept or used bona fide for religious purposes?
(b) Any representation sculptured, engraved, painted or otherwise represented on
or in-
(i) Any ancient monument within the meaning or the Ancient Monuments and
Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 (24 of 1958), or
(ii) Any temple, or on any car used for the conveyance of idols, or kept or used for
any religious purpose.
Section 292A Printing etc. of grossly indecent or scurrilous matter or matter
intended for blackmail
Whoever, -
(a) Prints or causes to be printed in any newspaper, periodical or circular, or
exhibits or causes to be exhibited, to public view or distributes or causes to be
distributed or in any manner puts into circulation any picture or any printed or
written document which is grossly indecent, or in scurrilous or intended for
blackmail, or
113
(b) Sells or lets for hire, or for purposes of sale or hire makes, produces or has in
his possession, any picture or any printed or written document which is grossly
indecent or is scurrilous or intended for blackmail; or
(c) Conveys any picture or any printed or written document which is grossly
indecent or is scurrilous or intended for blackmail knowing or having reason to
believe that such picture or document will be printed, sold, let for hire distributed
or publicly exhibited or in any manner put into circulation; or
(d) Takes part in, or receives profits from, any business in the course of which he
knows or has reason to believe that any such newspaper, periodical, circular,
picture or other printed or written document is printed, exhibited, distributed,
circulated, sold, let for hire, made, produced, kept, conveyed or purchased; or
(e) Advertises or makes known by any means whatsoever that any person is
engaged or is ready to engage in any Act which is an offence under this section, or
that any such newspaper, periodical, circular, picture or other printed or written
document which is grossly indecent or is scurrilous or intended for blackmail, can
be procured from or through any person; or
(f) Offers or attempts to do any act which is an offence under this section *[shall
be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend
to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Provided that for a second or any subsequent offence under this section, he shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less
than six months and not more than two years.
Explanation I-For the purposes of this section, the word scurrilous shall be
deemed to include any matter which is likely to be injurious to morality or is
calculated to injure any person:
Provided that it is not scurrilous to express in good faith anything whatever
respecting the conduct of-
(i) A public servant in the discharge of his public functions or respecting his
character, so far as his character appears in that conduct and no further; or
(ii) Any person touching any public question, and respecting his character, so far as
his character appears in that conduct and no further.
Explanation II-In deciding whether any person has committed an offence under
this section, the Court shall have regard inter alia, to the following considerations-
114
(a) The general character of the person charged, and where relevant the nature of
his business;
(b) The general character and dominant effect of the matter alleged to be grossly
indecent or scurrilous or intended for blackmail;
(c) Any evidence offered or called by or on behalf of the accused person as to his
intention in committing any of the acts specified in this section.
Section 293 Sale, etc., of obscene objects to young person
Whoever sells, lets to hire, distributes, exhibits or circulates to any person under
the age of twenty years any such obscene object as is referred to in the last
preceding section, or offers or attempts so to do, shall be punished 2[on first
conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to
three years, and with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, and, in the
event of a second or subsequent conviction, with imprisonment of either
description for a term which may extend to seven years, and also with fine which
may extend to five thousand rupees.
Section 294 Obscene acts and songs
Whoever, to the annoyance of others-
(a) Does any obscene act in any public place, or
(b) Sings, recites or utters any obscene song, balled or words, in or near any public
place,Shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which
may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both.
7.3.12 Theft of Computer Hardware
Sec. 378, 379 IPC
Section 378 Theft
Whoever intending to take dishonestly any moveable property out of the
possession of any person without that person's consent, moves that property in
order to such taking, is said to commit theft.
Explanation1 -A thing so long as it is attached to the earth, not being movable
property, is not the subject of theft; but it becomes capable of being the subject of
theft as soon as it is severed from the earth.
Explanation 2 -A moving effected by the same act which affects the severance
may be a theft.
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Explanation3 -A person is said to cause a thing to move by removing an obstacle
which prevented it from moving or by separating it from any other thing, as well as
by actually moving it.
Explanation 4 -A person, who by any means causes an animal to move, is said to
move that animal, and to move everything which, in consequence of the motion so
caused, is moved by that animal.
Explanation 5 -The consent mentioned in the definition may be expressed or
implied, and may be given either by the person in possession, or by any person
having for the purpose authority either express or implied.
Section 379 Punishment for theft
Whoever commits theft shall be punished with imprisonment of either description
fora term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Sony.Sambandh.Com Case64
A complaint was filed by Sony India Private Ltd which runs a website called
www.sony-sambandh.com, targeting Non Resident Indians. The website enables
NRIs to send Sony products to their friends and relatives in India after they pay for
it online. The company undertakes to deliver the products to the concerned
recipients.
In May 2002, someone logged onto the website under the identity of Barbara
Campa and ordered a Sony Colour Television set and a cordless head phone. She
gave her credit card number for payment and requested that the products be
delivered to Arif Azim in Noida. The payment was duly cleared by the credit card
agency and the transaction processed. After following the relevant procedures of
due diligence and checking, the company delivered the items to Arif Azim. At the
time of delivery, the company took digital photographs showing the delivery being
accepted by Arif Azim. The transaction closed at that, but after one and a half
months the credit card agency informed the company that this was an unauthorized
transaction as the real owner had denied having made the purchase.
The company lodged a complaint for online cheating at the Central Bureau of
Investigation which registered a case. The matter was investigated into and Arif
Azim was arrested. Investigations revealed that Arif Azim, while working at a call
center in Noida gained access to the credit card number of an American national
64
Cyber Crimes: Law and Practices (.pdf); retrieved from http://www.img.kerala.gov.in/docs/downloads/cyber%20crimes.pdf
116
which he misused on the company‖s site. The CBI recovered the color television
and the cordless head phone. The court convicted Arif Azim for cheating under
Section 418, 419 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code — this being the first time that
a cybercrime has been convicted. The court, however, felt that as the accused was a
young boy of 24 years and a first-time convict, a lenient view needed to be taken.
The court therefore released the accused on probation for one year.
The judgment is of immense significance for the entire nation. Besides being the
first conviction in a cybercrime matter, it has shown that the Indian Penal Code can
be effectively applied to certain categories of cybercrimes which are not covered
under the Information Technology Act 2000. Secondly, a judgment of this sort
sends out a clear message to all that the law cannot be taken for a ride.
Parliament Attack Case65
Bureau of Police Research and Development at Hyderabad had handled some of
the top cyber cases, including analyzing and retrieving information from the laptop
recovered from terrorist, who attacked Parliament. The laptop which was seized
from the two terrorists, who were gunned down when Parliament was under siege
on December 13 2001, was sent to Computer Forensics Division of BPRD.
The laptop contained several evidences that confirmed of the two terrorists‖
motives, namely the sticker of the Ministry of Home that they had made on the
laptop and pasted on their ambassador car to gain entry into Parliament House and
the fake ID card that one of the two terrorists was carrying with a Government of
India emblem and seal. The emblems (of the three lions) were carefully scanned
and the seal was also crafty made along with residential address of Jammu and
Kashmir. But careful detection proved that it was all forged and made on the
laptop.
7.4 Section 46 (Power to adjudicate – Adjudicating Officer)66

Empowers the Central Government to appoint any officer not below the rank of a
Director to the Government of India or an equivalent officer of a State Government
to be an adjudicating officer for holding an inquiry regarding the commission of
the offences laid out in Chapter IX in the manner prescribed by the Central
65
Cyber Crimes: Law and Practices (.pdf); retrieved from http://www.img.kerala.gov.in/docs/downloads/cyber%20crimes.pdf
66
Seminar and Workshop on detection of cybercrime and investigation by Justice K.N. Basha; retrieved from
http://www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in/jacademy/article/Cyber%20Crime%20by%20KNBJ.pdf
117
Government. The persons appointed shall possess such experience in the field of
Information Technology and legal or judicial experience as may be prescribed by
the Central Government. Where more than one adjudicating officers are appointed,
the Central Government shall specify by order the matters and places with respect
to which such officers shall exercise their jurisdiction. This is also discussed in S.
Sekar v. The Principal General Manager (Telecom), (BSNL),
MANU/TN/9663/2007.
Every adjudicating officer appointed as above shall have the powers of a civil
court which are conferred on the Cyber Appellate Tribunal under Section 58(2).
Further all proceedings before it shall be deemed to be judicial proceedings within
the meaning of Sections 193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and it shall be
deemed to be a civil court for the purposes of Sections 345 and 346 of the Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973.
The adjudicating officer shall offer the offender a reasonable opportunity for
making representation in the matter. If, on such inquiry, he is satisfied that the
person has committed the contravention, he may impose such penalty or award
such compensation as he thinks fit in accordance with the provisions of the Act
governing such offence.
7.5 What is a Cybercrime?67

Cybercrime is a generic term that refers to all criminal activities done using the
medium of computers, the Internet, cyber space and the worldwide web.
There isn‖t really a fixed definition for cybercrime. The Indian Law has not given
any definition to the term ―cybercrime‖. In fact, the Indian Penal Code does not use
the term ―cybercrime‖ at any point even after its amendment by the Information
Technology (amendment) Act 2008, the Indian Cyber law. But ‗Cyber Security‘ is
defined under Section (2) (b) means protecting information, equipment, devices
computer, computer resource, communication device and information stored
therein from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or
destruction.
67
Types of Cyber Crimes & Cyber Law in India by Adv. Prashant Mali, Security Corner; retrieved from http://www.csi-
india.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=047c826d-171c-49dc-b71b-4b434c5919b6
118
Cyber law is a term used to describe the legal issues related to use of
communications technology, particularly ‗cyberspace‘, i.e. the Internet. It is less of
a distinct field of law in the way that property or contract are, as it is an
intersection of many legal fields, including intellectual property, privacy, freedom
of expression, and jurisdiction. In essence, cyber law is an attempt to apply laws
designed for the physical world, to human activity on the Internet. In India, The IT
Act, 2000 as amended by The IT (Amendment) Act, 2008 is known as the Cyber
law. It has a separate chapter XI entitled ‗Offences‘ in which various cybercrimes
have been declared as penal offences punishable with imprisonment and fine.
7.7 Use of Internet and Computers by Terrorists68

Many terrorists are using virtual as well as physical storage media for hiding
information and records of their illicit business. They also use emails and chat
rooms to communicate with their counterparts around the globe.
The scenario
The suspects carry laptops wherein information relating to their activities is stored
in encrypted and password protected form. They also create email accounts using
fictitious details. In many cases, one email account is shared by many people.
E.g. one terrorist composes an email and saves it in the draft folder. Another
terrorist logs into the same account from another city / country and reads the saved
email. He then composes his reply and saves it in the draft folder. The emails are
not actually sent. This makes email tracking and tracing almost impossible.
Terrorists also use physical storage media for hiding the information e.g. hard
drives, floppies, USB drives, mobile phone memory cards, digital camera memory
cards, CD ROMs, DVD ROMs, iPods etc. They also use virtual storage media for
hiding the information e.g. email accounts, online briefcases, FTP sites, Gspace
etc.
The law
Terrorists are covered by conventional laws such as Indian Penal Code and special
legislation relating to terrorism.
68
Real world cybercrime cases by Rohas Nagpal, Asian School of Cyber Laws; retrieved from
http://dict.mizoram.gov.in/uploads/attachments/cyber_crime/real-world-cyber-crime-cases.pdf
119
Who is liable?
Terrorists as well as those who help them to protect their information are liable. If
email service providers do not assist the law enforcement personnel in the
investigation then they are also legally liable.
The motive
Keeping terrorism related information confidential. Secure communication
amongst terrorist group members.
Modus Operandi
The terrorists purchase small storage devices with large data storage capacities.
They also purchase and use encryption software. The terrorists may also use free or
paid accounts with online storage providers.
Rehabilitation

Cases involving misuse of Internet / Emails is not maintained separately by
Government. However, as per the general cybercrime data maintained by National
Crime Records Bureau, a total of 217, 288, 420 and 966 Cyber Crime cases were
registered under Information Technology Act during 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
respectively, thereby showing an increasing trend. A total of 339, 176, 276 and 356
cybercrime cases were reported under Cyber Crime related Sections of Indian
Penal Code (IPC) during 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 respectively.
7.9 Summary
In independent India, many special laws have been enacted with criminal and penal
provisions which are often referred to and relied upon, as an additional legal
provision in cases which refer to the relevant provisions of IPC as well. The Indian
Penal Code was amended by inserting the word 'electronic' thereby treating the
electronic records and documents on a par with physical records and documents.
7.10References
1. Cyber Laws in India retrieved from http://www.iibf.org.in/documents/Cyber-
Laws-chapter-in-Legal-Aspects-Book.pdf
2. India: An Overview of Cyber Laws vs. Cyber Crimes: In Indian Perspective
by Rohit K. Gupta; retrieved from
120
http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/257328/Data+Protection+Privacy/An+Overview+
Of+Cyber+Laws+vs+Cyber+Crimes+In+Indian+Perspective
3. Seth Associates (Advocates & Legal consultants); retrieved from
http://www.sethassociates.com/criminal-liability-for-misuse-of-information-
technology.html
4. Alert India.com, retrieved from http://www.alertindian.com/node/5
5. Cyber Crimes: Law and Practices (.pdf); retrieved from
6. Seminar and Workshop on detection of cybercrime and investigation by
Justice K.N. Basha; retrieved from
http://www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in/jacademy/article/Cyber%20Crime%20by%20KNBJ
.pdf
7. Types of Cyber Crimes & Cyber Law in India by Adv. Prashant Mali,
Security Corner; retrieved from http://www.csi-
india.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=047c826d-171c-49dc-b71b-
4b434c5919b6
8. Real world cybercrime cases by Rohas Nagpal, Asian School of Cyber Laws;
retrieved from http://dict.mizoram.gov.in/uploads/attachments/cyber_crime/real-
world-cyber-crime-cases.pdf
1. Section 420 of IPC deals with _____________and dishonestly inducing
delivery of property
2. _______________ is a term used to describe the legal issues related to use of
communications technology.
3. _______________ deals with power to adjudication under IT Act, 2000.
4. Section 464 of __________________ refers in matter of making a false
document.
5. Section 499 of Indian Penal Code deals with __________.
7.12 Answer to check your progress
1. Cheating
2. Cyber law
3. Section-46
4. Indian Penal Code
121
5. Defamation

1. Describe defamation as per discussed in Indian Penal Code.
2. Discuss in detail section 420 of Indian Penal Code.
3. Explain how terrorists use internet technology to commit crime?
4. Discuss power of adjudication.
5. Explain Sony sambandh case under Indian Penal Code?
122
Unit-8
Criminal Procedure Code and Cyber
Crimes
Objectives:
 What is cyber Defamation in Corporate World?
 What is cyber crime and Criminal Justice System?
 How deletion/blocking of content is done.
Structure :
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Cyber Defamation in Corporate World
8.3 Cyber Crime and Criminal Justice System
8.4 Indian Scenario
8.5 Case Studies
8.6 Deletion/blocking of content
8.8 Summary
8.9 References
8.1 Introduction
The term ―cybercrime‖ is a misnomer. This term has nowhere been defined in any
Statute /Act enacted by the Indian Parliament. The concept of cybercrime is not
radically different from the concept of conventional crime. Both include some
123
conduct, whether an act or omission, which causes breach of rules of law and
counterbalanced by the sanction of the state.69
Criminal law governs crimes, including felonies and misdemeanors. Crimes are
generally referred to as offences against the state. The standard of proof for crimes
is "beyond a reasonable doubt." For information on particular crimes or issues
surrounding the criminal law, please select from one of the topics below.
Criminal law in India means offenses against the state, it includes felonies and
misdemeanors. The standard of proof for crimes is "beyond a reasonable doubt."
Criminal law is governed by Indian penal Code, CrPC, evidence Act etc.
A body of rules and statutes that defines conduct prohibited by the government
because it threatens and harms public safety and welfare and that establishes
punishment to be imposed for the commission of such acts.
The term criminal law means crimes that may establish punishments. In contrast,
Criminal Procedure describes the process through which the criminal laws are
enforced. For example, the law prohibiting murder is a substantive criminal law.
The manner in which government enforces this substantive law through the
gathering of evidence and prosecution is generally considered a procedural matter.
Crimes are usually categorized as felonies or misdemeanors based on their nature
and the maximum punishment that can be imposed. A felony involves serious
misconduct that is punishable by death or by imprisonment for more than one year.
Most state criminal laws subdivide felonies into different classes with varying
degrees of punishment. Crimes that do not amount to felonies are misdemeanors or
violations. A misdemeanor is misconduct for which the law prescribes punishment
of no more than one year in prison. Lesser offenses, such as traffic and parking
infractions, are often called violations and are considered a part of criminal law.70
The major transformation from section 43 of the original act to Section 66 of the
Amendment Act is that, that all the offences that were covered under Section 43
gave rise to civil liability which had its remedy in either compensation or damages.
But under Section 66 of the Amendment Act if such act is done with criminal
intention that is mensrea, then it will attract criminal liability having remedy in
imprisonment or fine or both. Moreover, under Sections 71, 72, 73 of the
69
Cyber Crime in India by Professor Kavita Singh, Blog on Indian Criminal Law; retrieved from http://bccp-
law.blogspot.in/2011/09/cybercrimeinindia.html
70
Criminal Laws in India by Legal Service India; retrieved from
http://www.legalserviceindia.com/Criminallaws/criminal_law.htm
124
Information Technology Act 2000 some acts or omissions have been made
criminally liable with strict liability e.g. Penalty for breach of confidentiality and
privacy, penalty for misrepresentation etc. Section 67 of the original Act dealt with
publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form but the scope of this
section was widened by the amendment which included child pornography under
section 67-B and also the act of retention of records by the intermediaries. And
such offences under section 67-A will be punished with conviction of a term up to
3 years and fine of Rs.5 lakh and in case it is the second conviction then conviction
will be for five years and fine of Rs.10 Lack or both. But for offence under section
67-B the provision is for stricter conviction which is for 5 years and fine of Rs. 10
Lakh or both in case of first conviction, and the same will be increased to 7 years
and fine of Rs. 10 lakh in case of second conviction.71
Crime is a social and economic phenomenon and is as old as the human society.
Crime is a legal concept and has the sanction of the law. Crime or an offence is ‗a
legal wrong that can be followed by criminal proceedings which may result into
punishment.‘ The hallmark of criminality is that, it is breach of the criminal law.
Per Lord Atkin ‗the criminal quality of an act cannot be discovered by reference to
any standard but one: is the act prohibited with penal consequences‘. A crime may
be said to be any conduct accompanied by act or omission prohibited by law and
consequential breach of which is visited by penal consequences. Cybercrime is the
latest and perhaps the most complicated problem in the cyber world. ‗Cybercrime
may be said to be those species, of which, genus is the conventional crime, and
where either the computer is an object or subject of the conduct constituting
crime‘.‗Any criminal activity that uses a computer either as an instrumentality,
target or a means for perpetuating further crimes comes within the ambit of
cybercrime‘.72
In India Cyber Defamation results in Civil as well as Criminal proceedings against
the accused. Some the Acts and rules that deals with Cyber Defamation are The
Indian Penal Code, 1960, The Information Technology Act, 2000, The Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973 and The Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The Charging Act
for prevention of Cyber Crimes in India is the Information Technology Act, 2000.
71
Cyber Crimes in India- an Introduction by Vakilno.1; retrieved from http://www.vakilno1.com/legalviews/cyber-crimes-in-
india.html
72
Cyber Crime in India by Professor Kavita Singh, Blog on Indian Criminal Law; retrieved from http://bccp-
law.blogspot.in/2011/09/cybercrimeinindia.html
125
Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 provides punishment for
online Defamation. Section 66A can be read as follows
66A. Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service,
etc.-
Any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication
device,-
(a) Any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or
(b) Any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing
annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal
intimidation, enmity, hatred, or ill will, persistently makes by making use of such
computer resource or a communication device;
(c) Any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing
annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient
about the origin of such messages,
Shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years
and with fine.
Explanation: For the purposes of this section, terms "Electronic mail" and
"Electronic Mail Message" means a message or information created or transmitted
or received on a computer, computer system, computer resource or communication
device including attachments in text, image, audio, video and any other electronic
record, which may be transmitted with the message.
Section 65A and Section 65B of The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 provides for
Admissibility of electronic records as evidence. Some of the sections of Indian
Penal Code, 1960 that deal with Cyber defamation are Section 499, 500 and 503.
8.2 Cyber Defamation In Corporate World

SMC Pneumatics (India) Pvt. Ltd. v. Jogesh Kwatra
In India's first case of cyber defamation, a Court of Delhi assumed jurisdiction over
a matter where a corporate's reputation was being defamed through emails and
passed an important ex-parte injunction.
In this case, the defendant Jogesh Kwatra being an employ of the plaintiff
company started sending derogatory, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, filthy and
abusive emails to his employers as also to different subsidiaries of the said
126
company all over the world with the aim to defame the company and its Managing
Director Mr. R K Malhotra. The plaintiff filed a suit for permanent injunction
restraining the defendant from doing his illegal acts of sending derogatory emails
to the plaintiff.
On behalf of the plaintiffs it was contended that the emails sent by the defendant
were distinctly obscene, vulgar, abusive, intimidating, humiliating and defamatory
in nature.
Counsel further argued that the aim of sending the said emails was to malign the
high reputation of the plaintiffs all over India and the world. He further contended
that the acts of the defendant in sending the emails had resulted in invasion of legal
rights of the plaintiffs. Further the defendant is under a duty not to send the
aforesaid emails. It is pertinent to note that after the plaintiff company discovered
the said employee could be indulging in the matter of sending abusive emails, the
plaintiff terminated the services of the defendant.
After hearing detailed arguments of Counsel for Plaintiff, Hon'ble Judge of the
Delhi High Court passed an expert ad interim injunction observing that a prima
facie case had been made out by the plaintiff. Consequently, the Delhi High Court
restrained the defendant from sending derogatory, defamatory, obscene, vulgar,
humiliating and abusive emails either to the plaintiffs or to its sister subsidiaries all
over the world including their Managing Directors and their Sales and Marketing
departments. Further, Hon'ble Judge also restrained the defendant from publishing,
transmitting or causing to be published any information in the actual world as also
in cyberspace which is derogatory or defamatory or abusive of the plaintiffs.
In case of Tata Sons Limited vs Greenpeace International &Anr, the Hon'ble High
Court of Delhi Made the Following Observations:
"It is true that in the modern era defamatory material may be communicated
broadly and rapidly via other media as well. The international distribution of
newspapers, syndicated wire services, facsimile transmissions, radio and satellite
television broadcasting are but some examples. Nevertheless, Internet defamation
is distinguished from its less pervasive cousins, in terms of its potential to damage
the reputation of individuals and corporations, by the features described above,
especially its interactive nature, its potential for being taken at face value, and its
absolute and immediate worldwide ubiquity and accessibility. The mode and extent
127
of publication is therefore a particularly significant consideration in assessing
damages in Internet defamation cases."73
8.3 Cyber Crime and Criminal Justice System

In criminal justice system, investigation into the crime and collection of evidence
is of little consequence unless the prosecution is able to secure conviction of the
accused. If the investigating agency is unable to get the accused convicted by the
court, it has a damaging impact on the investigating agency and it creates suspicion
about the motive and capability of the investigating agency. Securing conviction in
cybercrime is not easy and straightforward. An accused may be hanged based on
the printout of reports generated by the electronic devices. In some cybercrimes, all
the evidences may be electronic evidence without any documentary evidence or
human witness. Of course, the computer forensic examiner will be the percipient
witness. The defendant is bound to question the admissibility, reliability and
authenticity of the electronic evidences. The forensic examiner must be able to
convince the courts about the admissibility, authenticity and reliability of the
electronic evidence, and that the evidence has not been tempered with.
In India, there are computer forensic cells in the Central Forensic Laboratories
(CFSLs) and General Examiners of Questioned Documents (GEQDs) at
Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Shimla, and CFSL CBI at New Delhi. Even
though most states have computer forensic units, they are very much dependent on
the computer forensic cells of the central laboratories. This is a serious anomaly:
while cybercrimes are to be tackled by the state governments, they do not the
wherewithal to conduct proper investigation into cybercrimes. The courts in India
generally accept only the reports of the central laboratories. The Code of Criminal
Procedure (CrPC) recognizes only certain specified laboratories foe scientific
examination. As the number of cybercrimes is going up by leaps and bounds, the
workload on the central computer forensic laboratories has increased too much. In
addition to submitting written reports, digital forensic examiners have to give
witness before the courts, and are cross-examined. However, the capacity of
handling digital forensic examination cases per examiner per year remains
constant, leading to piling up of cases. Delay in forensic examination seriously
73
India: Cyber Defamation In Corporate World by Pradhumna Didwania (Singh & Associates); retrieved from
http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/218890/Social+Media/Cyber+Defamation+In+Corporate+World
128
hampers prosecution and obtaining the custody of the accused. Indeed, substantial
expansion of the computer forensic laboratories is a crying need, because the
laboratories do not have manpower and resources to meet even current level of
requirements. If the expansion does not take place immediately, it will seriously
hamper the prosecution of cybercrime cases in near future. Also, the laboratories
need to be equipped with latest equipment‖s, and outdated equipment‖s should be
replaced.
The central forensic laboratories cannot handle the increasing number of
cybercrime cases, and it is essential that capability in state governments may be
developed to handle cybercrimes. We need computer forensic cell even at the
district-levels, not to talk of the state-level. The central laboratories may
standardize the equipment‖s, toolkits and software needed for digital forensic
examination, and may standardize the procedure for the forensic examination.
Technicians of state governments may be periodically certified by the central
laboratories. This will facilitate giving legal sanctity to the state governments to
handle digital forensic examination, and present evidence before the courts. Of
course, the examiners will also require legal empowerment under section 45 of
Indian Evidence Act, and section 293 of Criminal Procedure Code. More officers
need to be empowered under Section 80 of Information Technology Act to conduct
search in cybercrimes. Moreover, since the private sector is better at absorbing new
technologies, some form of public-private partnership (PPP) may be required in
this field.74
8.4 Indian Scenario

Law enforcement authorities in India have not exactly lagged behind in bringing
these new age cyber criminals to book, and have installed special ―Cybercrime
cells‖ in different cities to combat crimes on the internet. These cells have been
particularly adept at using IP Addresses information to trace individuals
responsible for crimes. Very briefly, an Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a
numeric label – a set of four numbers (e.g. 202.54.30.1) - that is assigned to every
device (e.g., computer, printer) participating on the internet. Website operators
and ISPs typically maintain data logs that track the online activity of each IP
74
Need for an Overhaul in Investigation and Prosecution of Cyber Crimes in India(.pdf) by Barun Kumar Sahu; retrieved from
http://www.csi-sigegov.org/emerging_pdf/10_85-88.pdf
129
address that accesses their services. Although IP Addresses refer to particular
computers – not necessarily individual users – it is possible to trace these addresses
backwards to expose the individual behind the computer. As even a casual Google
search with the phrase ‗IP, police, India‘ would reveal, police authorities in
different cities in India have been quite successful in employing this technology to
trace culprits.
However, along with its utility in the detection of crime, the tracking of persons by
their IP addresses is potentially invasive of individuals‖ privacy. In the absence of
a culture of strict adherence to the ―rule of law‖ by the police apparatus in India, the
unbridled ability to track persons through IP addresses has the potential of
becoming an extremely oppressive tool of surveillance.
The compulsion of ISPs and intermediaries (including websites) to disclose IP
Address data. Are there guidelines in Indian law on how much information must be
disclosed, under what circumstances and for how long?
Broadly, there are four sources to which we may trace this regime of disclosure
and co-operation. Firstly, ISPs are required, under the operating license they are
issued under the Telegraph Act, to provide assistance to law enforcement
authorities. Secondly, the Information Technology Act contains provisions which
empower law enforcement authorities to compel information from those in charge
of any ―computer resources‖. Reciprocally, ―intermediaries‖ – including ISPs and
websites - are charged under new Rules under the IT Act with co-operating with
government agencies on pain of exposure to financial liability. Thirdly, the Code
of Criminal Procedure defines the scope of police powers of investigation which
include powers to interrogate and summon information and fourthly, individual
subscribers enter into contracts with ISPs and web services which do not offer any
stiff assurances of privacy with regard to the IP Address details.75
The police in India empowered under the Criminal Procedure Code to simply
requisition information - including IP Addresses of suspects - from ISPs and
Websites? In the course of routine investigation into other offences, the police have
wide powers to summon witnesses, interrogate them and compel production of
documents. Can these powers be invoked to obtain IP Address information? Are
ISPs and Websites somehow immune from complying with these requirements?
75
IP Addresses and Expeditious Disclosure of Identity in India by The Centre For Internet & Society; retrieved from http://cis-
india.org/internet-governance/ip-addresses-and-identity-disclosures
130
Section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure empowers courts or police officers
to call for, by written order, the production of documents or other things that are
‗necessary or desirable‘ for the purpose of ‗any investigation, inquiry, trial or
other proceeding under the Code‘.
Sub-section 3 of this section however limits the application of this power by
exempting any ‗letter, postcard, telegram, or other document or any parcel or thing
in the custody of the postal or telegraph authority.‘ Such documents can only be
obtained under judicial scrutiny by following a more rigorous procedure laid down
in Section 92. Under this section, it is only if a ‗District Magistrate, Chief Judicial
Magistrate, Court of Session or High Court‘ is of the opinion that ‗any document,
parcel or thing in the custody of a postal or telegraph authority is wanted for the
purpose of any investigation, inquiry, trial or other proceeding under this Code‘
that such document, parcel or thing can be required to be delivered to such
Magistrate or Court.
However, the same section empowers lesser courts and officers such as ‗any other
Magistrate, whether Executive or Judicial, or of any Commissioner of Police or
District Superintendent of Police‘ to require ‗the postal or telegraph authority, as
the case may be. To cause search to be made for and to detain such document,
parcel or thing‘ pending the order of a higher court.76
8.5 Case Studies

Andhra Pradesh Tax Case77
The owner of a plastics firm in Andhra Pradesh was arrested and Rs. 22 crore cash
was recovered from his house by the Vigilance Department. They sought an
explanation from him regarding the unaccounted cash. The accused person
submitted 6,000 vouchers to prove the legitimacy of trade, but after careful
scrutiny of vouchers and contents of his computers it revealed that all of them were
made after the raids were conducted. It was revealed that the accused was running
five businesses under the guise of one company and used fake and computerized
vouchers to show sales records and save tax. Thus the dubious tactics of the
76
IP Addresses and Expeditious Disclosure of Identity in India by The Centre For Internet & Society; retrieved from http://cis-
india.org/internet-governance/ip-addresses-and-identity-disclosures
77
Cyber Crimes: Law and Practice (.pdf); retrieved from http://www.img.kerala.gov.in/docs/downloads/cyber%20crimes.pdf
131
prominent businessman from Andhra Pradesh was exposed after officials of the
department got hold of computers used by the accused person.
Sony.Sambandh.Com Case78
In May 2002, someone logged onto the website under the identity of Barbara
Campa and ordered a Sony Colour Television set and a cordless head phone. She
gave her credit card number for payment and requested that the products be
delivered to Arif Azim in Noida. The payment was duly cleared by the credit card
agency and the transaction processed. After following the relevant procedures of
due diligence and checking, the company delivered the items to Arif Azim. At the
time of delivery, the company took digital photographs showing the delivery being
accepted by Arif Azim .The transaction closed at that, but after one and a half
months the credit card agency informed the company that this was an unauthorized
transaction as the real owner had denied having made the purchase.
The company lodged a complaint for online cheating at the Central Bureau of
Investigation which registered a case. The matter was investigated into and Arif
Azim was arrested. Investigations revealed that Arif Azim, while working at a call
center in Noida gained access to the credit card number of an American national
which he misused on the company‖s site. The CBI recovered the colour television
and the cordless head phone. The court convicted Arif Azim for cheating under
Section 418, 419 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code — this being the first time that
a cybercrime has been convicted. The court, however, felt that as the accused was a
young boy of 24 years and a first-time convict, a lenient view needed to be taken.
The court therefore released the accused on probation for one year.
The judgment is of immense significance for the entire nation. Besides being the
first conviction in a cybercrime matter, it has shown that the Indian Penal Code can
be effectively applied to certain categories of cybercrimes which are not covered
under the Information Technology Act 2000. Secondly, a judgment of this sort
sends out a clear message to all that the law cannot be taken for a ride.
The section states:79
91. Summons to produce document or other thing.
78
Cyber Crimes: Law and Practice (.pdf); retrieved from http://www.img.kerala.gov.in/docs/downloads/cyber%20crimes.pdf
S.91 of CrPC – the Omnipotent provision? By SFLC_ADMIN, March 19, 2013; retrieved from http://sflc.in/s-91-of-crpc-the-
79
omnipotent-provision/
132
Whenever any Court or any officer in charge of a police station considers that the
production of any document or other thing is necessary or desirable for the
purposes of any investigation, inquiry, trial or other proceeding under this Code
by or before such Court or officer, such Court may issue a summons, or such
officer a written order, to the person in whose possession or power such document
or thing is believed to be, requiring him to attend and produce it, or to produce it,
at the time and place stated in the summons or order.
(2) Any person required under this section merely to produce a document or other
thing shall be deemed to have complied with the requisition if he causes such
document or thing to be produced instead of attending personally to produce the
same.
In short, the provision gives the powers to a court or a police officer in charge of a
police station to ask for production of any document for the purpose of
investigation. Now, let us examine the powers or the lack of it of an officer in
charge of a police station under this section in the case of online content:
8.6 Deletion/blocking of content

The provision only enables the police officer to conduct an investigation and can
by no stretch of imagination be used as a censorship tool to delete or block content.
Even in the case of books or newspapers or other documents, the State
Government will have to notify an order forfeiting such book or newspaper and
only based on such an order can a police officer seize such publications as per
Section 95 of the CrPC. This cannot be done under S.91 of CrPC. The means by
which a direction can be issued to block content is under S.69A of the Information
Technology Act, 2000 as per procedures laid down under Information Technology
(Procedures and safeguards for blocking for access of Information by Public)
Rules, 2009 or by an order from a competent court.
Investigation in the case of non-cognizable offences – Defamation is an example of
a non-cognizable offence. As per Section 155 (2) of the Code of Criminal
procedure, in the case of a non-cognizable offence, a police officer cannot conduct
an investigation without obtaining permission from a Magistrate Court. However,
it is often seen, as in the case of the instance cited earlier, that the police proceed
133
with the investigation irrespective of the nature of the offence. The Hon‖ble
Supreme Court has held in State of Haryana v/s Bhajan Lal, 1992 Supp (1) SCC 33
that criminal proceedings can be quashed under Section 482 of CrPC on the ground
that where the allegations in the FIR do not constitute a cognizable offence but
constitute only a non-cognizable offence, no investigation is permitted by a police
officer without an order of a Magistrate. Thus, investigation of a defamation case
under Section 91 of CrPC is illegal and is not permissible.
Demanding information from the accused – Article 20 (3) of the Constitution of
India provides citizens the right against self-incrimination, or a right against
testimony that would be against his interest in a case. The Hon‖ble Supreme Court
has held in State of Gujarat V. Shyamlal Mohanlal Choksi (196 5 M.L.J. (Crl.)
417) that section 94 of the Criminal Procedure Code (old Code and presently
Section 91) on its true construction does not apply to an accused person. Thus,
S.91 of CrPC cannot be used by the police for asking information from an accused
in an online defamation case.
Rehabilitation
Technology is always a double-edged sword and can be used for both the purposes
– good or bad. Steganography, Trojan Horse, Scavenging (and even DoS or DDoS)
are all technologies and per se not crimes, but falling into the wrong hands with a
criminal intent who are out to capitalize them or misuse them, they come into the
gamut of cybercrime and become punishable offences. Hence, it should be the
persistent efforts of rulers and law makers to ensure that technology grows in a
healthy manner and is used for legal and ethical business growth and not for
committing crimes.
8.8 Summary
In criminal justice system, investigation into the crime and collection of evidence
is of little consequence unless the prosecution is able to secure conviction of the
accused. Law enforcement authorities in India have not exactly lagged behind in
bringing these new age cyber criminals to book, and have installed special
―Cybercrime cells‖ in different cities to combat crimes on the internet. These cells
134
have been particularly adept at using IP Addresses information to trace individuals
responsible for crimes. Although IP Addresses refer to particular computers – not
necessarily individual users – it is possible to trace these addresses backwards to
expose the individual behind the computer.
8.9 References
1. Cyber Crime in India by Professor Kavita Singh, Blog on Indian Criminal
Law; retrieved from http://bccp-law.blogspot.in/2011/09/cybercrimeinindia.html
2. Criminal Laws in India by Legal Service India; retrieved from
http://www.legalserviceindia.com/Criminallaws/criminal_law.htm
3. Cyber Crimes in India- an Introduction by Vakilno.1; retrieved from
http://www.vakilno1.com/legalviews/cyber-crimes-in-india.html
4. India: Cyber Defamation In Corporate World by Pradhumna Didwania
(Singh & Associates); retrieved from
http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/218890/Social+Media/Cyber+Defamation+In+Co
rporate+World
5. Need for an Overhaul in Investigation and Prosecution of Cyber Crimes in
India(.pdf) by Barun Kumar Sahu; retrieved from http://www.csi-
sigegov.org/emerging_pdf/10_85-88.pdf
6. IP Addresses and Expeditious Disclosure of Identity in India by The Centre
For Internet & Society; retrieved from http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/ip-
addresses-and-identity-disclosures
7. Cyber Crimes: Law and Practice (.pdf); retrieved from
8. S.91 of CrPC – the Omnipotent provision? By SFLC_ADMIN, March 19,
2013; retrieved from http://sflc.in/s-91-of-crpc-the-omnipotent-provision/

1. The term criminal law means
crimes that may establish ______________.
2. In India Cyber Defamation
results in ________ as well as ___________ proceedings against the accused.
135
3. Crime is a _________and
_________ phenomenon and is as old as the human society.
4. Computer forensic cells CFSLs
refers to _____________________ .
5. CrPC describe itself as
_______________________________ .

1. Punishments
2. Civil/ Criminal
3. Social/ economic
4. Central Forensic Laboratories
5. Code of Criminal Procedure

1. How cyber defamation affects in corporate world?
2. Explain the procedure of blocking of content?
3. In Indian regulations, blocking of website or deletion of content is described
under which law. Discuss.
4. Explain any two cases related to online defamation?
5. How would you describe defamation and cyber defamation separately?
136
Unit-9
Indian Evidence Act and Cyber Crimes
Objectives:
 What are provisions of Indian Evidence Act, 1872 ?
 What provisions of Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and I.T. Act, 2000 are
followed ?
 Digital Evidence and law dealing with it.
Structure
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Indian Evidence Act, 1872
9.3 Provisions of Indian Evidence Act, 1872 followed with Information
Technology Act, 2000
9.4 Digital Evidence – technological & practical issues
9.4.1 Types of digital evidence
9.4.2 Extraction and production in court of digital evidences
9.4.3 Digital Evidence & the Indian Law
9.5 Cyber Crimes – Law, Investigation & Adjudication
9.7 Summary
9.8 References
9.1 Introduction80
80
Cyber Crime Law in India: Has law kept pace with emerging trends? An Empirical Study by N.S. Nappinai, Vol.5 Issue
1(2010); retrieved from http://www.jiclt.com/index.php/jiclt/article/viewFile/97/96
137
The general laws in India were drafted and enacted in the 19th century. Whilst
each of the general laws have undergone modifications and amendments, the broad
and underlying provisions have withstood the test of time, including unimaginable
advancements in technology, which speaks to the dynamism of the General laws.
The general laws referred to in this Article are the Indian Penal Code, 1860
(‗IPC‘), which is the general penal law of India and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872
(‗Evidence Act‘), the general law pertaining to admissibility of evidence in civil
and criminal trials. The manner in which trial of criminal cases are to be conducted
is dealt with under the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (‗Cr. P. C‘).
India got its first codified Act in the Information Technology Act, 2000 (‗IT Act),
which fell far short of the Industry‖s requirements to meet global standards. The
focus if the IT Act was however recognition of electronic records and facilitation
of e -commerce. Barely ten sections were incorporated in the IT Act to deal with
Cyber Crime.
At the time when the IT Act was passed several acts deemed to be illegal in most
jurisdictions including virus attacks, data theft, illegal access to data / accessing
and removal of data without the consent of the owner, etc., were listed as civil
penalties under the IT Act. The IT Industry continued to rely on self –regulation
and contractual undertakings to appease its global clients, as it had done before the
passing of the IT Act. The primary offences under the IT Act were:
 Tampering with source code;
 Deleting, destroying or altering any data on any computer resource with mala
fide intent to cause wrongful loss or to diminish its value;
 Publishing or transmitting pornographic material through a computer
resource;
 Provisions pertaining to encryption technology, the right of the Government
authorities to intercept and decrypt such data and to call upon any entity or
individual to decrypt such data were also included in the IT Act. Certain acts
affecting the integrity and sovereignty of the nation were classified as offences.
138
9.2 Indian Evidence Act, 187281
The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 contains set of rules and regulations regarding
admissibility of evidence in the Indian Courts of law. Indian Evidence Act was
passed by the British Parliament in 1872 setting up a path-breaking judicial
measure by changing traditional legal systems of different social groups and
communities. Since then from time to time amendments are made in the Indian
Evidence Act to make it compatible with changing times.
The Information Technology Act was originally passed on 17th October 2000 with
one of the aim to provide legal recognition to digital/electronic evidence. Hence,
amendments were made in the Indian Evidence Act regarding collection and
production of digital evidence in the court of law.
Some of the important provisions of the Indian Evidence Act pertaining to
digital/electronic evidence are as follows –
 Sec. 2(1) (t) Defining Electronic Record
"Electronic record" means data, record or data generated, image or sound stored,
received or sent in an electronic form or micro film or computer generated micro
fiche.
The section has made electronic record legally admissible in the court of law.
 Sec. 3 (a) – Scope of definition of evidence expanded to include
electronic records.
 Sec. 65B – Admissibility of electronic records
The person owning or in-charge of the computer from which the evidence is taken
has to give certificate as to the genuineness of electronic record.
 Sec. 88A – Presumption as to electronic messages
The Court may presume that an electronic message forwarded by the originator
through an electronic mail server to the addressee to whom the message purports to
be addressed corresponds with the message as fed into his computer for
transmission; but the Court shall not make any presumption as to the person by
whom such message was sent.
81
Indian Evidence Act and Digital Evidence by club hack, Issue 39, April 2013; retrieved from
http://www.chmag.in/article/apr2013/indian-evidence-act-and-digital-evidence
139
9.3 Provisions of Indian Evidence Act, 1872 followed with
Information Technology Act, 2000
Section 65A: Special provisions as to evidence relating to electronic record. The
contents of electronic records may be proved in accordance with the provisions of
section 65B".
Section 65B- Admissibility of electronic records
1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, any information contained in
an electronic record which is printed on a paper, stored, recorded or copied in
optical or magnetic media produced by a computer (hereinafter referred to as the
computer output) shall be deemed to be also a document, if the conditions
mentioned in this section are satisfied in relation to the information and computer
in question and shall be admissible in any proceedings, without further proof or
production of the original, as evidence of any contents of the original or of any fact
stated therein of which direct evidence would be admissible.
2) The conditions referred to in sub-section (1) in respect of a computer output
shall be the following, namely:
a) The computer output containing the information was produced by the
computer during the period over which the computer was used regularly to store or
process information for the purposes of any activities regularly carried on over that
period by the person having lawful control over the use of the computer;
b) During the said period, information of the kind contained in the electronic
record or of the kind from which the information so contained is derived was
regularly fed into the computer in the ordinary course of the said activities;
c) Throughout the material part of the said period, the computer was operating
properly or, if not, then in respect of any period in which it was not operating
properly or was out of operation during that part of the period, was not such as to
affect the electronic record or the accuracy of its contents; and
d) The information contained in the electronic record reproduces or is derived
from such information fed into the computer in the ordinary course of the said
activities.
e) Where over any period, the function of storing or processing information for
the purposes of any activities regularly carried on over that period as mentioned in
clause (a) of sub-section (2) was regularly performed by computers, whether-
140
i. by a combination of computers operating over that period; or
ii. by different computers operating in succession over that period; or
iii. by different combinations of computers operating in succession over that
period; or
(3) In any other manner involving the successive operation over that period, in
whatever order, of one or more computers and one or more combinations of
computers, all the computers used for that purpose during that period shall be
treated for the purposes of this section as constituting a single computer; and
references in this section to a computer shall be construed accordingly.
(4) In any proceedings where it is desired to give a statement in evidence by virtue
of this section, a certificate doing any of the following things, that is to say,
a) Identifying the electronic record containing the statement and describing the
manner in which it was produced;
b) Giving such particulars of any device involved in the production of that
electronic record as may be appropriate for the purpose of showing that the
electronic record was produced by a computer;
c) Dealing with any of the matters to which the conditions mentioned in
subsection (2) relate, and purporting to be signed by a person occupying a
responsible official position in relation to the operation of the relevant device or
the management of the relevant activities (whichever is appropriate) shall be
evidence of any matter stated in the certificate; and for the purposes of this sub-
section it shall be sufficient for a matter to be stated to the best of the knowledge
and belief of the person stating it.
(5) For the purposes of this section, -
(a) information shall be taken to be supplied to a computer if it is supplied
thereto in any appropriate form and whether it is so supplied directly or (with or
without human intervention) by means of any appropriate equipment;
(b) whether in the course of activities carried on by any official, information is
supplied with a view to its being stored or processed for the purposes of those
activities by a computer operated otherwise than in the course of those activities,
that information, if duly supplied to that computer, shall be taken to be supplied to
it in the course of those activities;
(c) a computer output shall be taken to have been produced by a computer
whether it was produced by it directly or (with or without human intervention) by
141
means of any appropriate equipment. Explanation-For the purposes of this section
any reference to information being derived from other information shall be a
reference to its being derived there from by calculation, comparison or any other
process.
After section 67, the following section shall be inserted, namely: - Proof as to
digital signature. "67A. except in the case of a secure digital signature, if the digital
signature of any subscriber is alleged to have been affixed to an electronic record
the fact that such digital signature is the digital signature of the subscriber must be
proved."
After section 73, the following section shall be inserted, namely: - Proof as to
verification of digital signature. '73A. In order to ascertain whether a digital
signature is that of the person by whom it purports to have been affixed, the Court
may direct- (a) that person or the Controller or the Certifying Authority to produce
the Digital Signature Certificate;
(b) any other person to apply the public key listed in the Digital Signature
Certificate and verify the digital signature purported to have been affixed by that
person. Explanation-For the purposes of this section, "Controller" means the
Controller appointed under sub-section (1) of section 17 of the Information
After section 81, the following section shall be inserted, namely: - "81 A.
The Court shall presume the genuineness of every electronic record purporting to
be the Official Gazette, or purporting to be electronic record directed by any law to
be kept by any person, if such electronic record is kept substantially in the form
required by law and is produced from proper custody."
After section 85, the following sections shall be inserted, namely: - "85A. The
Court shall presume that every electronic record purporting to be an agreement
containing the digital signatures of the parties was so concluded by affixing the
digital signature of the parties. "Section 85B refers as presumption of electronic
records and digital signatures. 85B. (1) In any proceedings involving a secure
electronic record, the Court shall presume unless contrary is proved, that the secure
electronic record has not been altered since the specific point of time to which the
secure status relates.(2) In any proceedings, involving secure digital signature, the
Court shall presume unless the contrary is proved that- (a) the secure digital
signature is affixed by subscriber with the intention of signing or approving the
142
electronic record; (b) except in the case of a secure electronic record or a secure
digital signature, nothing in this section shall create any presumption relating to
authenticity and integrity of the electronic record or any digital signature.
Presumption as to Digital Signature Certificates:
85C.Presumption as to Digital Signature Certificates.-The Court shall presume,
unless contrary is proved, that the information listed in a Digital Signature
Certificate is correct, except for information specified as subscriber information
which has not been verified, if the certificate was accepted by the subscriber.‘
After section 88, the following section shall be inserted, namely: - '88A. The Court
may presume that an electronic message forwarded by the originator through an
electronic mail server to the addressee to whom the message purports to be
addressed corresponds with the message as fed into his computer for transmission;
but the Court shall not make any presumption as to the person by whom such
message was sent. Explanation--For the purposes of this section, the expressions
"addressee" and "originator" shall have the same meanings respectively assigned to
them in clauses (b) and (za) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Information
After section 90, the following section shall be inserted, namely: 90A. Presumption
as to electronic records five years old.- Where any electronic record, purporting or
proved to be five years old, is produced from any custody which the Court in the
particular case considers proper, the Court may presume that the digital signature
which purports to be the digital signature of any particular person was so affixed
by him or any person authorized by him in this behalf.
Explanation -Electronic records are said to be in proper custody if they are in the
place in which, and under the care of the person with whom, they naturally be; but
no custody is improper if it is proved to have had a legitimate origin, or the
circumstances of the particular case are such as to render such an origin probable.
This Explanation applies also to section 81A.
For section 131, the following section shall be substituted, namely: - Production of
documents or electronic records which another person, having possession, could
refuse to produce. "131. No one shall be compelled to produce documents in his
possession or electronic records under his control, which any other person would
143
be entitled to refuse to produce if they were in his possession or control, unless
such last-mentioned person consents to their production.‘82
9.4 Digital Evidence – technological & practical issues
9.4.1 Types of digital evidence – Data in desktops, laptops, tablets & cell
phones, Data on pendrives, CD, DVD, Encrypted data, Steganographic data,
Password protected data, GPS data in photographs, Data on the cloud, Network
data, Databases.
9.4.2 Extraction and production in court of digital evidence - Email
evidence, Facebook evidence, Photographs (from smartphones, digital cameras),
Text, whatsapp and iMessage evidence, Evidence in browsers, Digital signatures as
evidence, Deleted data, IP addresses, Wi-Fi and server logs.
9.4.3 Digital Evidence & the Indian Law
 Relevant provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 as amended by the
Information Technology Act – sections 3, 17, 22A, 34, 35, 39, 47A, 59, 65A, 65B,
67A, 73A, 81, 85A, 85B, 88A, 90A, 131
 Relevant provisions of the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891 as amended
by the Information Technology Act - sections 2, 2A
 Relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act – section 79A -
Examiner of Electronic Evidence
 Case Law - Amitabh Bagchivs EnaBagchi, 2004 Ark Shipping Co. Ltd. Vs
Grt Ship management Pvt. Ltd., Bodala Murali Krishna vs Smt. Bodala Prathima,
Dharambirvs Central Bureau Of Investigation, Jagjit Singh vs State Of Haryana
&Ors, KN Govind acharya v Union of India & others, State vs Mohd. Afzal and
Ors. State Bank of India vs Rizvi Exports Ltd., State (N.C.T. Of Delhi) vs Navjot
Sandhu @ Afsan Guru, Twentieth Century Fox Film vs Nri Film Production
Associates
 Case Law (Adjudicating Oficers & CCA) - Arhan Technologies Pvt. Ltd,
Thomas Raju v ICICI Bank, Sourabh Jain v ICICI Bank and Idea Cellular Ltd.,
Rohit Maheshwari v Vodafone & others, Sanjay Govind Dhande & others v ICICI
82
The Information Technology Act, 2000; retrieved from http://cybercrime.planetindia.net/am2.htm
144
Bank & others, Umashankar Sivasubramanian v ICICI Bank & others, CCA order
in the matter of Yahoo India.
9.5 Cyber Crimes – Law, Investigation & Adjudication

1) Offences under the Information Technology Act - Computer related
offences (section 43 and 66), Computer source code related offences (section 43
and 65), Failure to protect data (section 43A), Sending offensive messages (section
66A), Dishonestly receiving stolen computer (section 66B), Identity Theft (section
66C), Cheating by personation (section 66D), Violation of privacy (section 66E),
Cyber Terrorism (section 66F), Transmitting obscene electronic material (section
67), Electronic material containing sexually explicit act (section 67A), Child
Pornography (section 67B), Preservation and retention of information by
intermediaries (section 67C), Power of the Controller to give directions. (section
68), Interception or monitoring or decryption of any information (section 69),
Blocking of information for public access (section 69A), Monitoring and collecting
traffic data (section 69B), Protected System (section 70), Indian Computer
Emergency Response Team (section 70B), Penalty for misrepresentation (section
71), Breach of confidentiality and privacy (section 72), Disclosure of information
in breach of lawful contract (section 72A), Publishing false Electronic Signature
Certificate (section 73), Publication for fraudulent purpose (section 74).
2) Investigation issues - Power to investigate offence (section 28, 78), Power
of police officer (section 80).
3) Related issues - Extradition Issues (section 75), Confiscation (section 76),
Compounding of offences (section 77A), Bailable & cognizable offences (sections
77A, 77B), Liability of intermediary (section 79), Abetment (section 84B),
Offences by companies (section 85), Blocking of websites.
4) Adjudication issues – 45, 46, 47, Chapter 10 and Information Technology
(Qualification and experience of Adjudicating Officers and Manner of Holding
Enquiry) Rules, 2003.
5) Documentation Issues - First Information Report, Property Search &
Seizure Form, Final Form/ Report, Relevant checklists, relevant reports83.
Rehabilitation
83
Digital Evidence & the Indian Law by Asian School of Cyber Laws; retrieved from http://www.asianlaws.org/del.pdf
145
Any data which is transferred online is subject to the risk of being intercepted and
misused. Encrypting data before transferring it over the internet will go a long way
in safeguarding against such interception. Even though the data may be intercepted
it would be of no use unless it is decrypted. If encryption of data is adopted by all
entities providing services through the internet then it would extremely helpful in
protecting the customers‖ privacy and also in protection of all other data. At
present, the data encryption standards imposed on different categories of online
service providers are not uniform.
9.7 Summary
India got its first codified Act in the Information Technology Act, 2000 (‗IT Act),
which fell far short of the Industry‖s requirements to meet global standards. The
focus if the IT Act was however recognition of electronic records and facilitation
of e -commerce. Barely ten sections were incorporated in the IT Act to deal with
Cyber Crime. At the time when the IT Act was passed several acts deemed to be
illegal in most jurisdictions including virus attacks, data theft, illegal access to data
/ accessing and removal of data without the consent of the owner, etc., were listed
as civil penalties under the IT Act. The IT Industry continued to rely on self –
regulation and contractual undertakings to appease its global clients, as it had done
before the passing of the IT Act.
9.8 References
1. Cyber Crime Law in India: Has law kept pace with emerging trends? An
Empirical Study by N.S. Nappinai, Vol.5 Issue 1(2010); retrieved from
http://www.jiclt.com/index.php/jiclt/article/viewFile/97/96
2. Indian Evidence Act and Digital Evidence by club hack, Issue 39, April
2013; retrieved from http://www.chmag.in/article/apr2013/indian-evidence-act-
and-digital-evidence
3. The Information Technology Act, 2000; retrieved from
http://cybercrime.planetindia.net/am2.htm
146
4. Digital Evidence & the Indian Law by Asian School of Cyber Laws;
retrieved from http://www.asianlaws.org/del.pdf

1. The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 is the general law pertaining to admissibility
of evidence in ______ and ______ trials.
2. India got its first ____________ Act in the Information Technology Act,
2000 (‗IT Act).
3. ________________Act fell far short of the Industry‖s requirements to meet
global standards.
4. Section 65B of Information Technology Act, 2000 refers as admissibility of
_____________.
5. Offences by companies discussed under _____________.

1. Civil/criminal
2. Codified
3. Information Technology Act
4. Electronic records
5. Section 85
1. Explain different types of digital evidences.
2. What are the practical and technological issues arises during analyzing
digital evidences?
3. Discuss the process of extraction and production of digital evidences in court
of law.
4. What are the primary offences discussed under IT Act, 2000?
5. How digital evidence described under Information Technology Act, 2000.
147
Unit-10
Social Media and Freedom of Speech and
Expression
Objectives:
 What is Constitutional validity of section 66A of IT Act
 About Criminalization of Online Speech and Social Media
 Misuse of social media and freedom of speech.
Structure
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Constitutional validity of section 66A of IT Act
10.3 Criminalization of Online Speech and Social Media
10.4 Recent Cases
10.5 Case study: Face book arrests
10.6 Rights vs. Responsibilities
10.7 Misuse of social media and freedom of speech
10.8 Summary
10.9 References
10.1 Introduction84
Social media offers huge opportunities for freedom of expression. Individuals are
able to see their thoughts traverse the globe in an instant; news – and its
interpretation – is not automatically dependent on the filtering process of the
84
The Law, Social Media and Freedom of Speech by Internet Rights; retrieved from http://internetrights.in/programs/internet-
governance/the-law-social-media-and-freedom-of-speech/
148
media, or of government. The freedom of expression on Internet is a crucial
challenge to address in formulating inclusive information society.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court said that no person should be arrested for posting
objectionable comments on social networking sites without taking prior permission
from senior police officials.
The apex court, which refused to pass an order for a blanket ban on the arrest of a
person for making objectionable comments on websites, said state governments
should ensure strict compliance of the Centre‖s January 9 advisory which said that
a person should not be arrested without taking permission from senior police
officials.
‗We direct the state governments to ensure compliance with the guidelines (issued
by Centre) before making any arrest,‘ a bench of justices B S Chauhan and Dipak
Misra said.
10.2 Constitutional validity of section 66A of IT Act85

It said the court cannot pass an order for banning all arrest in such cases as
operation of section 66A (pertaining to objectionable comments) of the
Information Technology Act has not been stayed by the apex court which is
examining its constitutional validity.
The advisory issued by the Centre says that, ‗State governments are advised that as
regard to arrest of any person in complaint registered under section 66A of the
Information Technology Act, the concerned police officer of a police station may
not arrest any person until she/he has obtained prior approval of such arrest from
an officer, not below the rank of inspector general of police (IGP) in metropolitan
cities or of an officer not below the rank of deputy commissioner of police (DCP)
or superintendent of police (SP) at district level, as the case may be.‘
In fact, section 66A of IT Act is a potential tool in the hands of rulers to curtail the
voice of opposition. It is fatal for the freedom of speech of netizens in general and
the press in particular.
The Indian Penal Code and other provisions of the IT Act, especially after the 2008
amendment, provide enough safeguards against defamation, intentional insult
85
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leading to breaking the peace, incitement to commit offence, etc. Political criticism
always causes some annoyance to someone. Ruling party and Opposition members
routinely say unflattering things about each other. Should they be charge sheeted,
too? The basic idea behind freedom of speech is to allow divergent critical views
without looking into whether people are annoyed or inconvenienced.
Section 66A which punishes persons for sending offensive messages is overly
broad, and is patently in violation of Art. 19(1)(a) of our Constitution. The fact that
some information is "grossly offensive" (s.66A(a)) or that it causes "annoyance" or
"inconvenience" while being known to be false (s.66A(c)) cannot be a reason for
curbing the freedom of speech unless it is directly related to decency or morality,
public order, or defamation (or any of the four other grounds listed in Art. 19(2)).
It must be stated here that many argue that John Stuart Mill's harm principle
provides a better framework for freedom of expression than Joel Feinberg's offence
principle. The latter part of s.66A(c), which talks of deception, is sufficient to
combat spam and phishing, and hence the first half, talking of annoyance or
inconvenience is not required. Additionally, it would be beneficial if an
explanation could be added to s.66A(c) to make clear what "origin" means in that
section. Because depending on the construction of that word s.66A(c) can, for
instance, unintentionally prevent organisations from using proxy servers, and may
prevent a person from using a sender envelope different from the "from" address in
an e-mail (a feature that many e-mail providers like Gmail implement to allow
people to send mails from their work account while being logged in to their
personal account). Furthermore, it may also prevent remailers, tunneling, and other
forms of ensuring anonymity online. This doesn't seem to be what is intended by
the legislature, but the section might end up having that effect. This should hence
be clarified.
Section 66A: Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication
service, etc.,
device,—
a) Any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character;
b) Any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing
150
intimidation, enmity, hatred, or ill will, persistently by making use of such
computer resource or a communication device,
c) Any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing
about the origin of such messages shall be punishable with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to three years and with fine.
Explanation: For the purposes of this section, terms "electronic mail" and
"electronic mail message" means a message or information created or transmitted
device including attachments in text, images, audio, video and any other electronic
A large part of s.66A can be traced back to Section 10(2) of the UK's Post Office
(Amendment) Act, 1935:
If any person —
(a) sends any message by telephone which is grossly offensive or of an indecent,
obscene, or menacing character; or
(b) sends any message by telephone, or any telegram, which he knows to be
false, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, or needless anxiety to
any other person; or
(c) persistently makes telephone calls without reasonable cause and for any such
purposes as aforesaid;
he shall be liable upon summary conviction to a fine not exceeding ten pounds, or
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month, or to both such fine and
imprisonment.
Section 66A bears a striking resemblance to the three parts of this law from 1935,
with clauses (b) and (c) being merged in the Indian law into a single clause (b) of
s.66A, with a whole bunch of new "purposes" added. Interestingly, the Indian Post
Office Act, 1898, was never amended to add this provision.
The differences between the two are worth exploring.
Term of Punishment
The first major difference is that the maximum term of imprisonment in the 1935
Act is only one month, compared to three years in s.66A of the IT Act. It seems the
Indian government decided to subject the prison term to hyper-inflation to cover
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for the time. If this had happened for the punishment for, say, criminal defamation,
then that would have a jail term of up to 72 years! The current equivalent laws in
the UK are the Communications Act, 2003 (s. 127) and the Malicious
Communications Act 1988 (s.1) for both of which the penalty is up to 6 months'
imprisonment or to a maximum fine of £5000 or both. What's surprising is that in
the Information Technology (Amendment) Bill of 2006, the penalty for section
66A was up to 2 years, and it was changed on December 16, 2008 through an
amendment moved by Mr. A. Raja (the erstwhile Minister of Communications and
IT) to 3 years. Given that parts of s.66A(c) resemble nuisance, it is instructive to
note the term of punishment in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal nuisance:
a fine of Rs. 200 with no prison term.
"Sending" vs. "Publishing"
J. Sai Deepak, a lawyer, has made an interesting point that the IT Act uses "send"
as part of its wording, and not "publish". Given that, only messages specifically
directed at another would be included. While this is an interesting proposition, it
cannot be accepted because: (1) even blog posts are "sent", albeit to the blog
servers — s.66A doesn't say who it has to be sent to; (2) in the UK the
Communications Act 2003 uses similar language and that, unlike the Malicious
Communication Act 1988 which says "sends to another person", has been applied
to public posts to Twitter, etc.; (3) The explanation to s.66A(c) explicitly uses the
word "transmitted", which is far broader than "send", and it would be difficult to
reconcile them unless "send" can encompass sending to the publishing
intermediary like Twitter.
Part of the narrowing down of s.66A should definitely focus on making it
applicable only to directed communication (as is the case with telephones, and with
the UK's Malicious Communication Act), and not be applicable to publishing.
Section 66A(c)
Section 66A(c) was also inserted through an amendment moved by Mr. Raja on
December 16, 2008, which was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 22, 2008,
and a day after by the Rajya Sabha. (The version introduced in Parliament in 2006
had only 66A (a) and (b).) This was done in response to the observation by the
Standing Committee on Information Technology that there was no provision for
spam. Hence it is clear that this is meant as an anti-spam provision. However, the
careless phrasing makes it anything but an anti-spam provision. If instead of "for
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the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the
addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages" it was "for the purpose of
causing annoyance and inconvenience and to deceive and to mislead the addressee
or recipient about the origin of such messages", it would have been slightly closer
to an anti-spam provision, but even then doesn't have the two core characteristics
of spam: that it be unsolicited and that it be sent in bulk. (Whether only
commercial messages should be regarded as spam is an open question.) That it
arise from a duplicitous origin is not a requirement of spam (and in the UK, for
instance, that is only an aggravating factor for what is already a fine-able activity).
Curiously, the definitional problems do not stop there, but extend to the definitions
of "electronic mail" and "electronic mail message" in the 'explanation' as well.
Those are so vast that more or less anything communicated electronically is
counted as an e-mail, including forms of communication that aren't aimed at
particular recipients the way e-mail is.
Hence, the anti-spam provision does not cover spam, but covers everything else.
This provision is certainly unconstitutional.
Section 66A (b)
Section 66A(b) has three main elements: (1) that the communication be known to
be false; (2) that it be for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience,
danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will;
(3) that it be communicated persistently. The main problem here is, of course, (2).
"Annoyance" and "inconvenience", "insult", "ill will" and "hatred" are very
different from "injury", "danger", and "criminal intimidation". That a lawmaker
could feel that punishment for purposes this disparate belonged together in a single
clause is quite astounding and without parallel (except in the rest of the IT Act).
That's akin to having a single provision providing equal punishment for calling
someone a moron ("insult") and threatening to kill someone ("criminal
intimidation"). While persistent false communications for the purpose of annoying,
insulting, inconveniencing, or causing ill will should not be criminalised (if need
be, having it as a civil offence would more than suffice), doing so for the purpose
of causing danger or criminal intimidation should. However, the question arises
whether you need a separate provision in the IT Act for that. Criminal intimidation
is already covered by ss. 503 and 506 of the IPC. Similarly, different kinds of
causing danger are taken care of in ss.188, 268, 283, 285, 289, and other
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provisions. Similarly with the other "purposes" listed there, if, for instance, a
provision is needed to penalize hoax bomb threats, then the provision clearly
should not be mentioning words like "annoyance", and should not be made
"persistent". (At any rate, s. 505(1) of the IPC suffices for hoax bomb threats, so
you don't need a separate provision in the IT Act).
I would argue that in its current form this provision is unconstitutional, since there
is no countervailing interest in criminalising false and persistent "insults", etc., that
will allow those parts of this provision to survive the test of 'reasonableness' under
Art.19(2). Furthermore, even bits that survive are largely redundant. While this
unconstitutionality could be cured by better, narrower wording, even then one
would need to ensure that there is no redundancy due to other provisions in other
laws.
Section 66A(a)
In s.66A(a), the question immediately arises whether the information that is
"grossly offensive" or "menacing" need to be addressed at someone specific and be
seen as "grossly offensive" or "menacing" by that person, or be seen by a
'reasonable man' test.
Additionally, the term "grossly offensive" will have to be read in such a heightened
manner as to not include merely causing offence. The one other place where this
phrase is used in Indian law is in s.20 (b) of the Indian Post Office Act (prohibiting
the sending by post of materials of an indecent, obscene, seditious, scurrilous,
threatening, or grossly offensive character). The big difference between s.20 (b) of
the IPO Act and s.66A of the IT Act is that the former is clearly restricted to one-
to-one communication (the way the UK's Malicious Communication Act 1988 is).
Reducing the scope of s.66A to direct communications would make it less prone to
challenge.86
10.3 Criminalization of Online Speech and Social Media87

The criminalization of online speech in India is of concern as the authorities have
prosecuted legitimate political comment online and personal views expressed on
86
Breaking Down Section 66A of the IT Act by The Centre For Internet & Society; retrieved from http://cis-india.org/internet-
governance/blog/breaking-down-section-66-a-of-the-it-act
87
India: Digital freedom under threat? Criminalization of online speech by Melody Patry, 21 November, 2013; retrieved from
http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/11/india-online-report-freedom-expression-digital-freedom-2/
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social media. New free speech opportunities offered by social media usage in India
have been diminished after the introduction of provision 66A of the IT Act and the
arrest of a number of Indian citizens for posting harmless content. This chapter
looks at how Section 66A constitutes a significant impediment to freedom of
expression and will demonstrate the need to reform the law.
In 2011, Communications Minister Kapil Sibal asked Google, Facebook and
Yahoo! to design a mechanism that would pre-filter inflammatory and religiously
offensive content. This request was not just, as noted at the time, technologically
impossible, it was also a clear assault on free speech. The request demonstrated
that even if Section 66A were reformed, further work would still be needed to
prevent politically motivated crackdowns on social media usage.
Section 66A of the IT Act is both overly broad and also carries a disproportionate
punishment. The section punishes the sending of ‗any information that is grossly
offensive or has menacing character‘ or any information meant to cause
annoyance, inconvenience, obstruction, insult, enmity, hatred or ill will, among
other potential grievances. The provision carries a penalty of up to three years
imprisonment and a fine.
10.4 Recent Cases88

The petition was also filed regarding the arrest of a Hyderabad-based woman
activist, who was sent to jail over her Facebook post in which certain
‗objectionable‘ comments were made against Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah
and Congress MLA Amanchi Krishna Mohan. After filing of the petition, she was
released by a district court at Hyderabad.
Jaya Vindhayal, the state general secretary of People‖s Union for Civil Liberties
(PUCL), was arrested on May 12 under section 66A of the IT Act for the
‗objectionable‘ post. According to the police; she had also allegedly distributed
pamphlets making objectionable allegations against Rosaiah and Mohan before
posting the comments online.
The matter was mentioned before the bench by law student Shreya Singhal,
seeking an urgent hearing in the case, saying the police is taking action in such
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matters even though a PIL challenging validity of section 66A is pending before
the apex court.
She had filed the PIL after two girls – Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Shrinivasan – were
arrested in Palghar in Thane district under section 66A of IT Act after one of them
posted a comment against the shutdown in Mumbai following Shiv Sena leader Bal
Thackeray‖s death and the other ―liked‖ it. On November 30, 2012, the apex court
had sought response from the Centre on the amendment and misuse of section 66A
of IT Act and had also directed the Maharashtra government to explain the
circumstances under which the 21-year-old girls were arrested.
Pursuant to the notice issued by the apex court, the Centre had informed it that the
controversial provision in the cyber law under which two girls were arrested for
Facebook comments did not curb freedom of speech and alleged ‗high
handedness‘ of certain authorities did not mean that it was bad in law.
10.5 Case study: Facebook arrests89

On Sunday 18 November 2012, a 21-year-old Mumbai woman, Shaheen Dhada,
shared her views on Facebook on the shutdown of the city as Shiv Sena chief Bal
Thackeray‖s funeral was being held. Her friend Renu Srinivasan ‗liked‘ her post.
At 10.30 am the following day, they were both arrested and were ordered by a
court to serve 14 days in jail. Hours later, they were eventually allowed out on bail
after paying two bonds of Rs. 15,000 (£145) each Dhada had posted, ‗Respect is
earned, not given and definitely not forced. Today Mumbai shuts down due to fear
and not due to respect‘. A local Shiv Sena leader filed a police complaint and
Dhada and Srinivasan were booked under Section 295 A of the Indian Penal Code
(IPC) for ‗deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or
any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.‘ Subsequently they were
also charged under Section 505 (2) of the IPC for making ‗statements creating or
promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes‘, and the police added Section
66A of the IT Act to the list of charges.
This should not be seen merely as ‗social media regulation‘, but as a restriction on
freedom of speech and expression by both the law and the police. Section 66A
89
India: Digital freedom under threat? Criminalization of online speech by Melody Patry, 21 November, 2013; retrieved from
http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/11/india-online-report-freedom-expression-digital-freedom-2/
156
makes certain kinds of speech-activities (‗causing annoyance‘) illegal if
communicated online, but legal if that same speech-activity is published in a
newspaper. Finally, this is similar to the Aseem Trivedi case where the police
wrongly decided to press charges and to arrest.
This distinction is important as it being a Facebook status update should not grant
Shaheen Dhada any special immunity; the fact of that particular update not being
punishable under s.295 or s.66A (or any other law) should :
 Section 64 of the IT Act is about ‗recovery of penalty‘ and the ability to
suspend one‖s digital signature if one doesn‖t pay up a penalty that‖s been
imposed.
 The police generally cannot, without a warrant, arrest a person accused of a
bailable offence unless it is a cognizable offence. A non-bailable offence is one for
which a judicial magistrate needs to grant bail, and it isn‖t an automatic right to be
enjoyed by paying a bond-surety amount set by the police.
 Section 295A of the IPC has been held not to be unconstitutional. The first
case to challenge the constitutionality of section 66A of the IT Act was filed
recently in front of the Madurai bench the Madras High Court.)
 One can imagine an exceptional case where such an act could potentially be
defamatory, but that is clearly exceptional.
 This is entirely apart from the question of how the Shiv Sena singled in on
Shaheen Dhada‖s Facebook comment.90
10.6 Rights vs. Responsibilities91
There is also a trend visible that business interest are increasingly protected for the
reason of copyright by developed countries, with freedom of expression and free
flow of information sacrificed.
Freedom of expression needs to be promoted with legitimate limitations and in
balance with other digital rights within an expanded legal and regulatory
90
Social Media Regulation vs. Suppression of Freedom of Speech by Pranesh Prakash, November 19, 2012; retrieved from
http://kafila.org/2012/11/19/social-media-regulation-vs-suppression-of-freedom-of-speech-pranesh-prakash/
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framework. There are challenges to deal with liability of intermediaries and
governmental surveillance which might undermine freedom of expression.
The ubiquity of the technology goes hand-in-hand with the ubiquity of social
media. But with rights come responsibilities. Unchecked, social media can also
allow disinformation, slander, racism, incitement to hatred, victimization and a
catalogue of ills, some – obviously – more serious than others.
If something incites violence or racism, then it should be prosecuted, regardless of
whether it is said in front of physical people or their virtual avatars. But drawing
this line is no easy matter.
Is there a need for a regulatory authority with powers to ban/suspend coverage of
objectionable material? If yes, should the regulatory authority be self-regulatory or
should it have statutory powers?
As our submission restricts itself to the matter of objectionable content on the
Internet, we will not comment on the possible need for a regulatory authority for
the print and electronic media. However, we believe that it will be wholly
inappropriate to grant a regulatory authority with powers to ban/suspend coverage
of objectionable material on social media and on the Internet more broadly, be this
self-regulatory authority or one with statutory powers.
For one thing, such a move would erroneously elide the distinction between
traditional media and the speech of ordinary people on social media as it would by
default treat their role in society and the weight of their speech acts as the same. As
explained above, where censorship is considered, the facts of the situation should
always be assessed against clearly defined thresholds. These thresholds include the
extent or reach of the speech and the likelihood or probability of action in response
to the speech – apart from the severity, intent, content, imminence and context. In
the large majority of cases, the impact of the speech of ordinary individuals will
not be the same as that of mainstream media when assessed according to these
criteria.
Indeed, it is important to also remember that where social media is concerned, it is
the users, not the platform owners, who are the authors of the messages. In other
words, Internet intermediaries such as Facebook, Twitter and Word Press, on
which ordinary people rely to publish their messages, are fundamentally different
from traditional media: while traditional media produces content, Internet
intermediaries are merely messengers, much as telecommunication companies are
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of voice messages delivered over landlines and mobile phones. Although a
regulatory authority would inevitably require the cooperation of Internet
intermediaries to be effective, its prime targets would thus have to be ordinary
people. Such non-judicial regulation of the speech of ordinary people is wholly
inappropriate in a democratic country.
Indeed, as explained above, while there may be content on the Internet that is seen
as socially objectionable, much of it is not objectionable in the legal sense by any
means. However, the determination of whether or not a specific set of facts violates
the law can only be made by the judiciary or by an independent body that is free of
political, commercial and other unwarranted influences. Where discretionary
powers are given to the authorities to make such assessments, this is all too likely
to lead to misuse, further contributing to a chilling effect that already exists, as
India‖s citizens increasingly start to censor themselves.
The establishment of a regulatory authority thus will likely substantially undermine
the empowering effect that the Internet has had for ordinary people, and in
particular for the boost it has given to their abilities to express themselves on a
wide range of issues that concern them. While this includes speech that is at times
of a questionable nature, it also lead to a great number of benefits, including
forcing greater transparency and accountability on a wide range of power centers
in our country, be they political or commercial. If these buds of active citizenship
that so many Indians have embraced enthusiastically are to flower, freedom of
expression should be protected and promoted by all means possible, rather than
curtailed.
This is in addition to the fact that, as experiences in a wide range of countries has
shown, filtering the Internet or creating a blacklist of undesirable sites to be made
inaccessible are by no means effective measures. While generally merely driving
the consumption of the material that was sought to be banned underground, rather
than stopping it, such measures tend to cause content that would be wholly
legitimate to be blocked as well. This can be both as a consequence of human
mistakes (as humans not trained for this task interpret definitions overly broad, as
we have seen repeatedly in the context of the implementation of section 66A) or of
technical limitations (as filter systems based on key words will filter out all content
containing those key words, without considering at their intent or context).
159
This is not to say, of course, that action should not be taken against speech that
clearly violates the law. However, several mechanisms to do so are already in place
– and this in addition to the legal right every Indian has to approach the Courts.
For example, section 69A of the IT Act makes it possible for the Central
Government to block content ‗in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India,
defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or
public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable
offence relating to above‘. Importantly, the Rules that were issued under the
section explicitly allow for a speed procedure to put into place such blocks in case
of emergency.
At the same time, the Intermediary Guidelines Rules, issued in 2011 under section
79 of the IT Act, make it possible for any Indian to send a take-down request to an
intermediary for content that they believe violates the Rules.
Like section 66A, the Intermediary Guidelines Rules unfortunately suffer from
important procedural and substantive shortcomings that have been argued to have a
chilling effect on freedom of speech and expression, and strong protections of
freedom of expression on the Internet in India would require these Rules, too,
therefore to be revised extensively. For example, one aspect of the Intermediary
Guidelines Rules that has come in for heavy criticism is that the Rules have
effectively privatized censorship by relying on the intermediaries to make the
assessment as to whether or not content is unlawful, rather than requiring the
judiciary or an independent body to do so. We have repeatedly pointed to the
dangers of doing so in this submission.
However, the principle that intermediaries should take down unlawful content
stands by and large undisputed in the country. Rather than establishing a regulatory
authority, a review of the Intermediary Guidelines Rules can thus be used as an
opportunity to devise a mechanism that protects free speech while also effectively
dealing with illegal content on the Internet in India as required. Such a mechanism
would need to include at the very minimum judicial intervention or review at some
point in the process if content is to be removed, as well as recognition of the
author‖s right to be informed and right to object/appeal.
In addition to such a review, there is however one more area where far greater
energy could be focused: that of non-legal measures to fight objectionable speech
online. Where objectionable content on the Internet is discussed, the tendency in
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India has been to overwhelmingly to look at censorship and arrests as ways to fight
such speech. Yet especially in a country with the diversity of India - where what
might be offensive to one community might be common sense to another – such an
approach alone is clearly never going to fully resolve the problem of objectionable
speech. As there is a considerable gap between speech that is socially unacceptable
and that which is legally unacceptable, the singular focus on the law will inevitably
leave many types of speech uncontested. But perhaps more importantly, as it
fosters a culture of intolerance, such a purely legal approach might also have
severe negative repercussions for the social fabric in the long-term.
What we need, therefore, is a far more extensive toolbox, containing positive
measures as well that are geared towards nurturing public discussion and a culture
of tolerance, and, ultimately, changing social behavior on the Internet.
Such a toolbox should contain, among other things, both education for school
children and public awareness campaigns about the ways in which Indians‖
fundamental rights and concomitant obligations translate to the Internet; about the
damage hate speech and other forms of objectionable speech do to the social fabric
of the country; and about the ethical actions all of us can take when we observe
abuse and other forms of objectionable content.
It should also involve the active use of counter-speech and social dialogue,
including through the public denouncement of instances of hate speech by public
officials. It deserves consideration, for example, whether, when people from the
North East started to flea Bangalore in mid-August 2012 following the spread of
rumors that they would be attacked as a fall-out from violence that had occurred in
Assam, a public announcement of the then Prime Minister on national television
that the government would not allow this to happen would not have been more
effective than the blocking of Internet content at the time when the number of
people fleeing had already substantially come down. The explicit rejection of acts
of abuse and other objectionable speech by community leaders and other
influential figures can go a long way in stemming the flow and impact of such
content indeed.
All these measures would provide considerable fill-up to the wide range of non-
legal strategies that Internet users in India are already developing to fight
objectionable content online. For example, in ‗‖Don‖t Let it Stand!‖ An
Exploratory Study of Women and Online Abuse in India‘, conducted in 2012-2013
161
by the Internet Democracy Project, women users of social media highlighted
support from their online community, not the law, as one of the most critical
factors to ensure their fight against online abuse was successful. Where they were
alone and isolated, it was difficult for them to respond. Where others in their circle
supported them actively, the likelihood that they were able to deal with an abuser
effectively immediately increased many-fold. Non-legal initiatives by the
government, the media, schools, not-for-profit organisations, religious and caste
associations and a slew of other groups could thus do much to further empower
users to deploy such strategies to fight abuse and hate speech.
What all these non-legal measures to address objectionable content online have in
common, is that they rely on freedom of speech and expression, rather than on
restrictions on this right, to combat objectionable content. Indeed, as we have
pointed out also at the beginning of our submission, it is important to remember
that overall, freedom of expression facilitates the exercise of other human rights.
Fighting against hate speech, or for equality, and strengthening freedom of
expression are, thus, not simply compatible with each other. Instead, they exist in
an affirming, mutually reinforcing relationship as they make complementary yet
essential contributions to the securing and safeguarding of human dignity.
Currently, unfortunately, initiatives that recognize this interplay are sorely lacking
in India. Rather than towards establishing a social media regulator, it is towards
initiatives such as these that a great part of our energies should urgently be
devoted.92
Rehabilitation
10.7 Misuse of social media and freedom of speech and
expression
Indeed, as explained above, while there may be content on the Internet that is seen
as socially objectionable, much of it is not objectionable in the legal sense by any
means. However, the determination of whether or not a specific set of facts violates
the law can only be made by the judiciary or by an independent body that is free of
political, commercial and other unwarranted influences. Where discretionary
powers are given to the authorities to make such assessments, this is all too likely
92
Regulating social media or reforming section 66A? Our recommendations to the Law Commission of India by Anja Kovacs;
retrieved from http://internetdemocracy.in/reports/regulating-social-media-or-reforming-section-66a-our-recommendations-to-
the-law-commission-of-india/
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to lead to misuse, further contributing to a chilling effect that already exists, as
India‖s citizens increasingly start to censor themselves.
10.8 Summary
Social media offers huge opportunities for freedom of expression. Individuals are
able to see their thoughts traverse the globe in an instant; news – and its
interpretation – is not automatically dependent on the filtering process of the
media, or of government. The freedom of expression on Internet is a crucial
challenge to address in formulating inclusive information society.
10.9 References
1. The Law, Social Media and Freedom of Speech by Internet Rights; retrieved
from http://internetrights.in/programs/internet-governance/the-law-social-media-
and-freedom-of-speech/
2. Breaking Down Section 66A of the IT Act by The Centre For Internet &
Society; retrieved from http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/breaking-
down-section-66-a-of-the-it-act
3. India: Digital freedom under threat? Criminalization of online speech by
Melody Patry, 21 November, 2013; retrieved from
http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/11/india-online-report-freedom-
expression-digital-freedom-2/
4. Social Media Regulation vs. Suppression of Freedom of Speech by Pranesh
Prakash, November 19, 2012; retrieved from http://kafila.org/2012/11/19/social-
media-regulation-vs-suppression-of-freedom-of-speech-pranesh-prakash/
5. Regulating social media or reforming section 66A? Our recommendations to
the Law Commission of India by Anja Kovacs; retrieved from
http://internetdemocracy.in/reports/regulating-social-media-or-reforming-section-
66a-our-recommendations-to-the-law-commission-of-india/

1) Section 66A punishes persons for sending ________________.
2) The current equivalent laws in the UK are the ___________ Act, 2003.
3) ____________ of the IT Act is both overly broad and also carries a
disproportionate punishment.
163
4) The provision carries a penalty of up to _______________ imprisonment and
a fine.
5) ____________________ needs to be promoted with legitimate limitations
and in balance with other digital rights within an expanded legal and regulatory
framework.

1) Offensive messages
2) Communications
3) Section 66A
4) Three years
5) Freedom of expression

1) Explain difference between rights and responsibilities?
2) Discuss some consequences of section 66A.
3) What do you understand by sending and publishing?
4) Discuss Facebook case study of Shaheen Dhada.
5) How freedom of speech and expression performs in social media?
164
Unit-11
Defamation on Cyber World
Objectives:
 What is online Defamation?
 What are problems in applying traditional methods?
 How misuse of cyber world in terms of defamation
Structure :
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Online Defamation
11.3 Defamation and Liabilities of ISPs
11.4 Problems in applying traditional methods
11.5 Literature Review
11.6 Laws applicable in India in cases of Cyber Defamation
11.7 Different Legal Approaches to Cyber Libel
11.8 Judicial Pronouncements and Cyber Defamation in Corporate World
11.9 Misuse of cyber world in terms of defamation
11.10 Summary
11.11 References
11.1 Introduction
The Tort of Cyber Defamation is considered to be the act of defaming, insulting,
offending or otherwise causing harm through false statements pertaining to an
individual in cyberspace. This is commonly done through the Internet via websites,
blogs, forums, emails and instant messaging, chat rooms and now in the social
networking sphere. Defamation law in general describes the tort as ‗the issuance of
165
a false statement about another person, which causes that person to suffer harm‘
(Larson) where libel is the written form and slander is spoken. Libel is typically the
form addressed with cyber defamation because the Internet essentially receives the
same protections as print and published media. The other elements applied to
defamation include:
 The unprivileged publication of the statement to a third part.
 If the defamatory matter is of public concern, fault amounts at least to
negligence on the part of the publisher
 Perceivable damage to the plaintiff
Along with the core elements of defamation, the burden of proof is placed on the
plaintiff in a case, damages are usually awarded monetarily and in the United
States, truth is an ‗absolute defense‘.
Cyber or online defamation is considered to be as, if not more harmful than
defamation in the form of libel and slander in the brick and mortar, physical world.
In some cases, the effects of online defamation could be exponentially worse than
an offline incident due to the global nature of the Internet and the fact that the
statements can be accessed by virtually anyone. In addition to this, the issue of
anonymity online raises even more concern when dealing with defamation because
the author or origin of the statements may be very difficult to trace depending on
the medium.93
However, in India Defamation is the intentional infringement of another person‖s
right to his good name. Cyber defamation is anything which could be seen, read or
heard with the help of computers. It is the wrongful, intentional publication of
words or behavior concerning another person, which has the effect of injuring that
person‖s status or good name or reputation in society. When cyber defamation is
concerned, number of people who may view the comment may be gigantic. It can
be more effective when posted in a specific newsgroup. Section 499 of the Indian
Penal Code, 1860 discusses Defamation. Not many people are aware of how easily
a defamation action can arise and it is this ignorance or lack of awareness which
increases the risk of defamation over the internet. However, the courts have held
93
Cyber and Online Defamation by Pennstate, retrieved from
https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/IST432TEAM4/Cyber+and+Online+Defamation#
166
that there will be no publication unless the third party to whom the defamatory
statements were made actually understands their meaning.
The following are among the areas of risk of exposure to online defamation:
 World Wide Web
 Discussion groups
 Intranets
 Mailing lists and bulletin boards
 E-mail
Defamation cases involving the internet generally fall into two basic categories:-
(1) Cases involving the liability of the primary publishers of the defamatory
material, e.g. web site content providers, e-mail authors etc.; and
(2) Cases involving the liability of the internet service providers or bulletin board
operators.
The ease of publishing information, correct or not, to millions of listeners
worldwide over the internet has caused defamation to become an increasing
problem. For example, one of the newest types of web sites on the internet are
‗suck sites‘, web sites that use a domain name that includes the name or the
trademark of a company and then contains the information critical of that
company. Such sites go beyond just publishing negative comments about an
individual or company and actively establish a specific web site with an
identifiable name such as lucentsucks.com. A key question in this area is what
remedies does the law provide to the victims of such actions?
11.2 Online Defamation

Defamation is a statement that harms the reputation of someone else. Courts have
to balance the reputation of one person with the free speech rights of the other.
Statements have to be repeated to at least one third person and must have caused
damage. There are two forms of defamation: libel and slander. Libel involves the
publishing of a falsehood that harms someone. Slander is the same doctrine applied
to the spoken word. Collectively, they are referred to as defamation. Both fall
under the jurisdiction of individual states, which usually require the falsehood to be
intentional.
167
The common law tort of defamation provides a legal remedy to those injured by
gossip. Specifically, an individual is subject to liability if he or she damages
another person‖s reputation by speaking or publishing false statements about that
person to a third party. Defamatory statements have the potential to tarnish a
person‖s morality or integrity, or even to discredit a person‖s financial standing in
the community. A person found guilty of making a defamatory statement is
assessed the monetary value of the harm caused by his or her statement. In
addition, the plaintiff in a defamation action has the burden of proving the
elements of the tort.
An entity that publishes or distributes a defamatory statement made by another

person is also liable. An entity, such as a newspaper, that repeats or otherwise
republishes a defamatory statement is subject to publisher liability because the
injured party is harmed every time the statement is repeated. However, an entity,
such as a bookstore, that only distributes or transmits a defamatory statement, is
subject to distributor liability only if the entity knew or should have known that the
statement was defamatory. A distributor ‗should know‘ that a statement is
defamatory if ‗a person of reasonable prudence and intelligence or of the superior
intelligence of the distributor would ascertain the nature of the statement.
One could claim immunity from the liability if one successfully proves that the
statements were published as facts, not opinions or ideas. For example, writing, ‗I
think that someone is accepting bribes.‘ is not libel because it is published as an
idea of the publisher. On the other hand, if the publisher writes, ‗this person is
accepting bribes.‘ and the statement is proved to be false, then the publisher can be
considered guilty of libel. However, the ‗I think‘ or ‗I believe‘ clause is not
always a valid exemption from libel law, if the implication is that the author is
indeed attempting to convey factual information.
The issue of whether an allegedly defamatory statement is one of opinion or fact is
one of the more difficult and common questions in a defamation suit. Courts have
held that merely prefacing an otherwise defamatory statement with the words ‗I
believe’‘ is not enough to eliminate the implication that the statement was
intended to communicate facts.
The plaintiff must prove that some form of damage occurred from the published
statement. The damage may have been tangible losses, such as the loss of a job,
168
financial loss, or the damage may have been intangible such as the loss of
reputation and respect in a community.
No claim of defamation would arise if it‖s a fair, true and impartial account of:
1. A judicial proceeding, unless the court has forbidden the publication
2. An official proceeding, to administer the law.
3. An executive or legislative proceeding
4. The proceedings of a public meeting with a public purpose
5. Reasonable and fair comment on or criticism of an official act of a public
official or other matter of public concern published for general information.
Public figures such as politicians have less protection under libel law than average
individuals. They cannot take action unless they can prove that the statement
published about them is of malicious intent and not simply of misinformation. The
reasoning behind this is that in theory a public figure can restore his or her
reputation more quickly and easily expressly because he or she is already in the
public eye and commands the attention of that public.
With the explosive growth of the Internet as a medium used to share information
quickly and inexpensively between people, we are faced with the problem of a
large decentralized global forum with very little regulation. What happens when a
law is broken, and one must place accountability? How does one enforce
legislation that may conflict with other codes from other communities to which the
Internet extends?
Many questions arise from the issues revolving around the Internet and libel laws.
What court precedents have there been in regards to cyber libel? What issues did
they address? And how those cases laid down the grounds for future legislation?
As of late, there have been a few major cases that have strongly affected the
courts‖ decisions in case law. However, due to the constant changing nature of
technology and the needs that come about from differing use of that newly
developed technology, amending case laws is nearly inevitable. Yet, we must drive
the formation of the new laws, which are to regulate or not to regulate the Internet,
to take into consideration the possible effects and the needs of the future
developments in cyberspace.
11.3 Defamation and Liabilities of ISPs
169
Internet defamation law is complicated by the tricky question of liability of system
operators. In defamation law for print and broadcast media, liability is sometimes
considered to extend beyond the defamer himself, for instance, the writer of a
libelous newspaper column, to the publisher of the material. The idea of holding
publishers responsible for libelous material in traditional media has been
thoroughly tested and defined in court; there are clear precedents for determining
who is liable for defamatory statements in these media. On the Internet, however,
such issues are considerably more nebulous.
A sysop, or system operator, is defined as a person or organization who in some
way manages the publication/distribution of material online. The most common
example is the operator of a bulletin board where users are permitted to post
messages which can then be read by other users. Such bulletin boards may be
exclusive to a limited group of subscribers, or they may be accessible to anyone on
the Internet. The exact role of the sysop can range from merely providing technical
support for the posting and reading of messages to carefully reading and editing all
published submissions. It is this disparity in the functions of individual sysops that
leads to questions about the extent of a sysop‖s liability in individual cases.
One view of a sysop is as a common carrier, much the way telephone companies
are legally viewed. Just as telephone companies attempt no control over what
information is communicated across their wires, and are not held legally liable for
the content of such communication, this view of a sysop indicates that the sysop
provides a forum for any message the user wishes to communicate and is therefore
not liable for the content of such a message. For such a definition to apply, the
sysop would have to take no editorial or censorial control whatsoever over any
postings; only then can he be considered a common carrier. An example of this
might be the host of a live-chat room who in no way limits access to this chat room
or monitors the conversations which take place therein.
The opposite role from a common carrier is what is called a publisher; in the case
of print media, this is the company that actually prints the newspapers containing
defamatory material. A publisher is held legally liable for the information it prints
because it exercises full editorial control over that information; it is therefore
assumed to be in a position to monitor its content for defamatory material. Many
sysops are deemed to fit this role much more closely than that of distributor or
common carrier, as past court decisions on sysop liability have shown. In Stratton
170
vs. Prodigy a judge noted that Prodigy did exercise control over its content and
could therefore be held responsible for that content. This definition of Prodigy as a
publisher was later changed, but some sysops are still considered publishers under
the law. A more definitive example would be a newsgroup moderator who reads
and edits all material before any is posted; this moderator then clearly takes an
active role in the dissemination of defamatory information.
A third category, between common carrier and publisher, is the category of
distributor. Again, an analogy to print media is useful; the distributor in this case
would be the newsstand which may sell a newspaper containing defamatory
content. The newsstand is not assumed to be aware of the content of all the
publications it sells and is therefore not held responsible for that content. However,
in some situations, the newsstand may in fact be aware of defamatory content; in
this instance, it can then be held liable for continuing to distribute this content. In
general, a distributor is seen as taking only a passive role in possible defamation
and is therefore not liable; only when some deliberate transgression such as failing
to remove material it knows to be defamatory can be proven is the distributor
liable. This category, sitting in the middle ground between two extremes, is the
most difficult to define and deal with, but it seems to be the appropriate
designation for many system operators, who will in general not attempt to monitor
content but may take action to remove objectionable content if it is brought to their
attention.
In Cubby vs. CompuServe, CompuServe was deemed a distributor and therefore
not held liable for defamatory material of which it could not be expected to have
knowledge. However, the categorization also implies that if CompuServe had been
made aware of this material, it would have been obligated to remove it. Finally, the
case of Zeran vs. America Online, in which a user was victim of a malicious hoax.
The courts ruled in favor of America Online, upholding that interactive computer
service providers may not be held liable for posting defamatory statements posted
by 3rd parties via the ISP. Effectively, this decision reversed the findings of
Stratton Oakmont, Inc. vs. Prodigy.
11.4 Problems in applying traditional methods
171
Although these definitions can be and have been applied to system operators in
Internet defamation cases, some problems do arise with such categorization. For
instance, when Prodigy was deemed in court to be a publisher, many were
concerned that penalizing a service for attempting to maintain control of its
bulletin boards could discourage any attempts at control whatsoever. Not only
could this conceivably make it easier for defamers to spread on-line, it also makes
it more difficult for a service to forbid flaming or, like Prodigy, provide a family-
friendly forum for communication, or even to focus that forum on discussion of a
specific topic, as many bulletin boards do. Further, laws that hold system operators
liable for their content can, by making the system operator‖s position a hazardous
one, discourage people and organizations from taking on this role, therefore
reducing the usefulness of the Internet as a forum for communication among all
users. There are some who will argue that this ultimately results in an unnecessary
restriction on free communication, and that system operators should therefore not
be held liable for defamation or other violations on their services under any
circumstances. Others, of course, argue that defamation is a serious enough
problem, especially on a forum like the Internet where false information is so
easily spread, that all possible efforts should be made to discourage it, and this
extends to making sysops responsible for the material they make available. The
issue is new enough that neither courts nor legislation have yet rendered definitive
verdicts on these questions; only time will tell how they are ultimately answered.94
Recently, a leading Indian property developer in India launched a mega housing
project. The developer advertised on the internet and attracted buyers online as the
company planned to sell more than 50% of their property to overseas
buyers. When potential customers started searching the site to know more about
the projects, they were directed to blog sites, which spoke of the problems in their
existing projects, and included images and videos. Subsequently their competitors
used these blogs to advertise their own properties.
An investigation found that these blogs were hosted on servers based abroad and it
was difficult for a local Indian company to go against them. Cases were filed in the
94
Online Defamation: A comparative analysis and evaluating the responsibility of the internet service providers in the Indian
Legal Frameworks by Abhilasha (JurisOnline.in), retrieved from http://jurisonline.in/?p=2394
172
US and Germany using privacy laws, which resulted in removal of the blogs. But
the damage had already been done. 95
11.5 Literature Review

A. THE UNITED STATES
Currently libelous messages placed on the Internet are treated the same as libelous
messages published in any other medium. However, because the author can easily
keep his or her identity a secret, there is frequently a problem in finding a
responsible party. Recent cases indicate that owners and operators of online service
providers may be liable for what is placed on their servers. Whether or not the
Internet service provider is responsible depends on whether the courts consider the
Internet service provider to be a publisher or a distributor. Distributors and
publishers are treated differently under traditional libel law.
 Distributors such as newsstands, bookstores and libraries are usually not
liable for anything that they sell.
 Publishers, such as newspapers and publishing houses are held responsible
for materials that they print.
On the Internet, if the service provider is found to be a distributor, the Internet
service provider will not be considered liable for materials that appear on its
servers. If, however, the Internet service provider is considered to be a publisher,
then it will be held responsible for everything that appears on its servers.
B. GREAT BRITAIN
Material published on the web falls under the same libel laws as material published
in any other medium. The British libel law differs from American libel laws in
approach. British libel laws are considered pro-plaintiff, meaning that the
defendant must prove that she or he did not commit libel. This is the opposite of
American libel law, which places the burden of proof upon the plaintiff to show
that the alleged libelous statement contained malice and caused damage.
95
Cyber defamation increasing in India, The Times of India; retrieved from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/it-
services/Cyber-defamation-increasing-in-India/articleshow/7122938.cms
173
The Defamation Act of 1996 holds Internet service providers responsible for what
they publish under British libel laws, albeit in only a very limited scope. This act
does not hold Internet service providers responsible if they are not primarily
responsible for material in question.
The Defamation Act is looked upon by British lawmakers as a way of limiting
potential libel lawsuits. The act will make libel cases cheaper and more quickly
resolvable:
 The act will allow judges to suggest money damages and offer Internet
Service providers the option of apologizing to the plaintiff and paying him or her
money damages.
 Defendants will also be able to offer amends under the defense of innocent
dissemination.
 Defendants will be able to reduce their damages if they can prove that the
plaintiff has a general bad reputation.
C. SINGAPORE
Singapore has extremely strict libel laws compared to the American system.
Singapore leaders have firmly stated that libel on the Internet will not be tolerated
and abusers will be severely punished. On March 6, 1996, Internet service
providers became responsible for anything that they print. Further, all Internet
service providers must register with the Singapore Broadcasting Authority. The
Singapore government has developed a national phone line system through which
individuals can access the Internet. The phone lines can be monitored and abusers
can then be found.
This law can be ineffective for two reasons:
1. The accessibility of foreign phone lines- Individuals can easily dial into a
foreign phone system to access the Internet and bypass the monitoring system in
Singapore.
2. The existence of cybercafés- Cyber cafes is popular locations where young
people gather. The young people socialize and also surf the Internet. The computer
user pays a fee for the Internet time and, to the frustration of the Singapore
government, can thereby send anonymous messages.
174
The Singapore government is also advancing an educational program on Internet
etiquette and hopes to teach students how to use the Internet responsibly.
D. CANADA
In Canada, there have not been any landmark cases that would determine the
policy with which the Canadian government will treat Cyber libel. The existing
libel codes hold that the defendant using a defense of innocent dissemination will
succeed if the defendant demonstrates:
1. The defendant does not know of the libel contained in the work authored or
published by him or her.
2. There was no reason for the defendant to suppose that the work he or she
authored or published would be libelous.
3. It was not negligence on the defendant‖s parts that he or she did not know
that the work contained libelous material.
E. INDIA
The Indian Penal Code, 1860 defines defamation as ‗statement or words which are
published and calculated to expose any person to ridicule, contempt or hatred or
which aim to injure the said person in his vocation, business, trade, profession or
office, or which aim to cause him to be shunned or avoided in public and in
society.‘
The important word here is ―published‖ which implies that, for a statement to be
considered defamatory, it should be communicated to someone other than the
person to whom it is addressed.
Though the Information Technology Act, 2000 does not specifically define
defamation as an offence, it is clear that the definition of ‗publishing‘ is wide
enough to include statements made on the Internet. The medium of publication is
immaterial in cases involving defamation because, just as in the real world,
everyone online has the right to reputation.
Online defamation is, in fact, the most dangerous because of the relatively low cost
of setting up a site, the ability to disguise identities and ease with which
uncensored information can reach with a limitless audience.
You can have a defamatory statement spread via a site, text message, email or
discussion board, and get sued for it, too. Worse, you are guilty even if you have
175
simply — or even wrongly — forwarded a defamatory email, since every
subsequent ‗publication‘ is a fresh offence. Similarly, owners, administrators and
coordinators of any such site will also become a party to the suit.
What about the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that host these pages? Can they
also be held liable? Section 501 of the IPC states that ‗whoever prints any matter,
knowing or having good reason to believe that such matter is defamatory, would be
liable to imprisonment of two years, or fine, or both.‘ This has been the bane of
many publishers, who have been held liable for defamatory matter printed in their
newspapers.
The IT Act, however, clarifies that though the ISPs would ordinarily be liable for
the abuse of services provided by them, they may be excused if it is ‗proved that
the offence or contravention was committed without their knowledge or that they
had exercised all due diligence to prevent it.‘ This is in keeping with global trends
which hold that while ISPs should be encouraged to develop some kind of
supervisory mechanism, due regard must also be given to the physical difficulties
of censoring each and every statement on the Internet.
There arises difficulties of jurisdiction and lack of legal awareness amongst Net
users in the country. Most defamatory sites and mailing lists are cunningly
uploaded from other countries, outside the jurisdiction of our courts, making
punishment by Indian authorities a pipe dream.96
11.6 Laws applicable in India in cases of Cyber Defamation97

In India Cyber Defamation results in Civil as well as Criminal proceedings against
the accused. Some the Acts and rules that deals with Cyber Defamation are The
Indian Penal Code, 1960, The Information Technology Act, 2000, The Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1973 and The Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The Charging Act
for prevention of Cyber Crimes in India is the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 provides punishment for
Online Defamation. Section 66A can be read as follows:
96
97
India: Cyber Defamation In Corporate World by Pradhumna Didwania; retrieved from
176
Section 66A: Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication
service, etc.-
device,-
a) Any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or
b) Any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing
intimidation, enmity, hatred, or ill will, persistently makes by making use of such
computer resource or a communication device;
c) Any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing
about the origin of such messages, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to three years and with fine.
Explanation: For the purposes of this section, terms "Electronic mail" and
"Electronic Mail Message" means a message or information created or transmitted
device including attachments in text, image, audio, video and any other electronic
Section 65A and Section 65B of The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 provides for
Admissibility of electronic records as evidence. Some of the sections of Indian
Penal Code, 1960 that deal with Cyber defamation are Section 499, 500 and 503.
11.7 Different Legal Approaches to Cyber Libel98

Because the Internet is a global medium and every nation treats libel differently,
the plaintiff now has the option of selecting the most favorable forum in which to
sue. Since the Internet is accessible from virtually anywhere on the globe, the
plaintiff has many forums to choose from. This causes potentially serious problems
for Internet service providers. Specifically, the Internet service provider might
publish some material in a place where they would not be held liable in a
defamation complaint, but be sued in a place where they will be responsible for
anything that they put on the Internet.
98
177
11.8 Judicial Pronouncements w.r.t. Cyber Defamation in
Corporate World
SMC Pneumatics (India) Pvt. Ltd. v. Jogesh Kwatra2
In India's first case of cyber defamation, a Court of Delhi assumed jurisdiction over
a matter where a corporate's reputation was being defamed through emails and
passed an important ex-parte injunction.
In this case, the defendant Jogesh Kwatra being an employ of the plaintiff
company started sending derogatory, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, filthy and
abusive emails to his employers as also to different subsidiaries of the said
company all over the world with the aim to defame the company and its Managing
Director Mr. R K Malhotra. The plaintiff filed a suit for permanent injunction
restraining the defendant from doing his illegal acts of sending derogatory emails
to the plaintiff.
On behalf of the plaintiffs it was contended that the emails sent by the defendant
were distinctly obscene, vulgar, abusive, intimidating, humiliating and defamatory
in nature.
Counsel further argued that the aim of sending the said emails was to malign the
high reputation of the plaintiffs all over India and the world. He further contended
that the acts of the defendant in sending the emails had resulted in invasion of legal
rights of the plaintiffs. Further the defendant is under a duty not to send the
aforesaid emails. It is pertinent to note that after the plaintiff company discovered
the said employee could be indulging in the matter of sending abusive emails, the
plaintiff terminated the services of the defendant.
After hearing detailed arguments of Counsel for Plaintiff, Hon'ble Judge of the
Delhi High Court passed an exparte ad interim injunction observing that a prima
facie case had been made out by the plaintiff. Consequently, the Delhi High Court
restrained the defendant from sending derogatory, defamatory, obscene, vulgar,
humiliating and abusive emails either to the plaintiffs or to its sister subsidiaries all
over the world including their Managing Directors and their Sales and Marketing
departments. Further, Hon'ble Judge also restrained the defendant from publishing,
transmitting or causing to be published any information in the actual world as also
in cyberspace which is derogatory or defamatory or abusive of the plaintiffs.
178
In case of Tata Sons Limited vs Greenpeace International & Anr3, the Hon'ble
High Court of Delhi Made the Following Observations:
"It is true that in the modern era defamatory material may be communicated
broadly and rapidly via other media as well. The international distribution of
newspapers, syndicated wire services, facsimile transmissions, radio and satellite
television broadcasting are but some examples. Nevertheless, Internet defamation
is distinguished from its less pervasive cousins, in terms of its potential to damage
the reputation of individuals and corporations, by the features described above,
especially its interactive nature, its potential for being taken at face value, and its
absolute and immediate worldwide ubiquity and accessibility. The mode and extent
of publication is therefore a particularly significant consideration in assessing
damages in Internet defamation cases."99
Rehabilitation
11.9 Misuse of cyber world in terms of defamation
Unfortunately, the ease of use of these online media has on several occasions
been misused by unscrupulous individuals for publishing defamatory remarks in
the cyber world. At present, reported cases of cyber defamation have been on the
rise. In relation thereof, it is necessary to examine the efficacy of the existing
regulatory regime that governs such a crime.
11.10 Summary
Cyber defamation is a growing tool in brand wars in the business world.
Government agencies, celebrities and politicians too use these services. It is an
organized racket and anyone can hire these racketeers for a price.
"Cyber defamation attacks and their counter defences assume paramount
importance in today's fragile economic age," says Satheesh G Nair, MD (Apac) of
Stickman Consulting, a cybercrime investigation firm. He says that in a country
that is as socio-culturally varied as India, even the integrity of the nation can suffer
on account of cyber defamation. "The ban on bulk SMSs and check on networking
sites prior to the recent Ayodhya verdict is a current demonstration of how cyber
defamation is of paramount importance," he says.
99
179
There is growing awareness among corporates about this trend. Nair says it is hard
to take preventive measures. However, some remedial measures can be taken. For
example, the company can find out about attempts to defame it before others take
note of it. "Be informed about what competitors/customers/enemies are talking
about you before someone else tells you," Nair says. Cyber detectives can help in
this.100
Communication is an art that has developed immensely over the past few centuries
and an art that will continue to reinvent itself to unimaginable technological
advance. Starting with the advent of the printing press in the nineteenth century, to
the era of the Internet that we are living in today, communication has become
astoundingly simple and continues to become simpler by the day.
The Law however, developed though it may be in the United States and Europe, is
not growing at the same rate as the Internet is, in India. There are court cases in
progress right now that will decide if access providers such as Prodigy, America
Online and CompuServe are responsible for defamatory remarks broadcast over
their services, but there is no legal ambiguity about whether individual users can be
sued for making defamatory or libelous statements. Individual users are
responsible for making sure the information they distribute is not libelous or
defamatory.
The Internet has made worldwide, instantaneous communication easy. The average
user now has the power to be heard by hundreds or even thousands of other users,
but in terms of libel and defamation, the Net is not a new world of freedom. The
reality is that libel and defamation laws are enforceable in the virtual world just
like they are in the real world.101
Cyber Defamation in Corporate world can have far reaching effects on the
organizations in some cases. However there are laws in place to deal with cyber
defamation and with admissibility of electronic records as evidence things have
been eased. If the plaintiff is able to prove that defamation has occurred then the
100
Cyber defamation increasing in India, The Times of India; retrieved from http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/it-
services/Cyber-defamation-increasing-in-India/articleshow/7122938.cms
101
180
onus lies on the defendant to prove that he was innocent. Further there are also
Cyber Crime Investigation Cells to deal with Cyber Crimes in India.102
11.11 References
1. Cyber and Online Defamation by Pennstate, retrieved from
https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/IST432TEAM4/Cyber+and+Online+Defamatio
n#
2. Online Defamation: A comparative analysis and evaluating the responsibility
of the internet service providers in the Indian Legal Frameworks by Abhilasha
(JurisOnline.in), retrieved from http://jurisonline.in/?p=2394
3. Cyber defamation increasing in India, The Times of India; retrieved from
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/it-services/Cyber-defamation-increasing-
in-India/articleshow/7122938.cms
4. India: Cyber Defamation In Corporate World by Pradhumna Didwania;
retrieved from
http://www.mondaq.com/india/x/218890/Social+Media/Cyber+Defamation+In+Co
rporate+World

1. __________________ is a statement that harms the reputation of someone
else.
2. A _________________ is defined as a person or organization who in some
way manages the publication/distribution of material online.
3. ______________ of the IPC states that ‗whoever prints any matter, knowing
or having good reason to believe that such matter is defamatory, would be liable to
imprisonment of two years, or fine, or both.‘
4. Cyber defamation attacks and their counter defences assume paramount
importance in today's fragile __________ age.
5. ___________________is a growing tool in brand wars in the business world.
1. Defamation
102
181
2. System operator
3. Section 501
4. Economic
5. Cyber defamation
1. What do you understand by online defamation?
2. Discuss the liabilities of ISPs in the matter of cyber defamation.
3. Discuss some problems which occur in applying traditional methods.
4. What do you mean by cyber libel?
5. Discuss few judicial pronouncements which relate cyber defamation of
corporate world.
182
Unit-12
Obscenity and Pornography: Global
Perspectives
Objectives:
 What is Obscenity and Pornography?
 What are the law regulating the Production, Distribution and Possession of
Child Pornography?
 How misuse of technology is done in the form of obscenity and pornography.
Structure:
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Problem
12.3 Money Laundering and Pornography
12.4 Case laws
12.5 Laws Regulating the Production, Distribution and Possession of Child
Pornography
12.6 Misuse of technology in the form of obscenity and pornography
12.7 Summary
12.8 References
12.1 Introduction
The ―novel social-interactional features of the cyberspace environment‖ trigger new
patterns of illegal activity online. Owing to the wide range of phenomena
comprised by the term cybercrime, it is difficult to formulate a comprehensive
definition, while attempts to define it have been rather unsystematic. Although
183
there is no universally accepted definition, three critical elements of cybercrime
have emerged. First, cybercrime is committed within electronic communication
networks. Second, cybercrime can be categorized by the specific function that
technology fulfills in its commission. ―the computer is used in a supporting
capacity, but the underlying crime or offence either predates the emergence of
computers or could be committed without them,‖ e.g., fraud, money laundering or
pornography; and ―computer-focused crimes,‖ whereby ―the category of crime has
emerged as a direct result of computer technology and there is not direct parallel in
other sectors,‖ like website defacing, hacking etc. Third, cybercrime can be legally
defined. Wall divides cybercrime into four categories which reflect four
established bodies of law:
(i) cyber-trespass;
(ii) cyber-deceptions and thefts;
(iii) cyber-violence and
(iv) Cyber-pornography/obscenity.
Computer-mediated activities falling within the scope of cyber-
pornography/obscenity can be either explicitly prohibited by the law or deemed
deviant, namely objectionable because they breach social norms without
automatically attracting criminal sanctions. While the debate surrounding this
category is complicated by the fact that not all kinds of pornography are illegal, the
primary focus of this paper is directed first, towards online representations of
sexual deviance, such as indecent images of children circulated via pedophilias
networks; and second, towards activities that carry formal legal sanctions and can
be classified as cybercrime either in a broad sense, namely where the use of
computer technology is peripheral to the main offence (e.g., the circulation of
extreme pornography) or in a narrow sense, where the criminal conduct is made
possible through technology itself (e.g., making a pseudo-photograph of a child).103
12.2 Problem104
103
Laundering sexual deviance: Targeting online pornography through anti-money laundering (.pdf) by Alex Antoniou et. al.,
The City Law School, City University, London (UK); retrieved from
http://www.csis.pace.edu/~ctappert/dps/2012EISIC/data/4782a091.pdf
104
Issues & Answers: Pornography by Andy Lewis, March 1, 2007 (Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission); retrieved from
http://erlc.com/article/issues-answers-pornography
184
Pornography (often abbreviated as "porn" or "porno" in informal usage) is the
portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purpose of sexual arousal. Pornography
may be presented in a variety of media, including books, magazines, postcards,
photographs, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,
and video games. The term applies to the depiction of the act rather than the act
itself, and so does not include live exhibitions like sex shows and striptease. The
primary subjects of pornographic depictions are pornographic models, who pose
for still photographs, and pornographic actors or porn stars, who perform
inpornographic films. If dramatic skills are not involved, a performer in a porn film
may also be called a model.105
Pornography is rampant within society. It is an epidemic that is damaging the lives
of young people, destroying marriages, producing false views of sex and beauty,
and degrading women. The pornography industry has increased rapidly, and its
increased availability has weakened moral and public standards that have
traditionally stood opposed to pornography. The combination of the weakening
moral standard and the increased availability has caused its effects to become even
more widespread, making proper teaching about pornography a necessity.
According to Family Safe Media, pornography is a $57 billion world-wide
industry, including $12 billion in the United States alone. According to their
statistics, pornography revenue exceeds the combined revenues of all professional
baseball, football, and basketball franchises and the combined revenues
of ABC, CBS, and NBC. Family Safe Media also reports that there are over 4.2
million pornographic websites, which include over 373 million pornographic web
pages. The average email user receives 4.5 pornographic emails each day, and the
average age of first exposure to Internet pornography is 11 years old. While
pornography is typically only associated with men, a significant portion of Internet
pornography users are female. Family Safe Media reports that 72% of Internet
pornography viewers are men and 28% of viewers are female.
As can be seen from these statistics, pornography is a large problem within society,
and Christians are not immune from this problem. Approximately 47% of
Christians state that pornography is a major problem in their home. While polling
data on pornography use among adults are unclear and varying, a Christia Net poll
105
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pornography
185
finds that as many as 50% of Christian men and 20% Christian women could be
addicted to pornography.
The growth of technology has also increased the devastating growth of child
pornography. Jan LaRue states that a search of ‗teen porn‘ on the Internet can
produce upwards of 7-8 million results. Family Safe Media reports that child
pornography generates $3 billion annually.
Pornography has become extremely accessible through technological innovations
and is now virtually a mainstream form of entertainment within American culture
that is willing to accept hyper-sexualized images and lewd behavior. A survey by
The Barna Group in 2003 found that nationally 38% of adults believed there was
nothing immoral about looking at pornography, and the same survey found that
almost 50% of people ages 18-38 believed looking at pornography were not
immoral.
The combination of technical innovations that allow what was once a small,
remote, seedy market to be mass produced and accessed within the most common
of places (foremost being the home), the devaluation of sex from being a sacred
union to an entertaining action of lust and selfish pleasure, and the mainstream
cultural acceptance of sexual freedom have all contributed to the explosion of the
pornography market. The Internet, cable television, and home videos are the
vehicles that have transported the effects of the underlying moral and cultural
changes in American society. These media outlets have allowed pornography to be
distributed more widely throughout society, but increased technology alone is not
the cause of the rapid increase in pornography. The changes in the morality of sex,
entertainment, and modesty, in conjunction with technological transformation of
media in American society, have conjoined to create a dangerous atmosphere
where pornography is widespread and often accepted.
12.3 Money Laundering and Pornography

―There‖s no business like porn business.‖ Closely linked to this multibillion dollar
industry is the phenomenon of money laundering. In simple terms, money
laundering is a process by which the origin of illegal earnings is disguised. The
European Commission of Justice and Home Affairs defines money laundering as
―the conversion or transfer of money, assets and property derived from criminal
186
activities to apparently legitimate status by disguising their origin through a variety
of financial maneuvers.‖ This could be a simple lie as to the provenance of money
or an asset, or involve complex property movements through many countries,
institutions, entities, assets and individuals. The means may be varied, but the
essence remains the same: the creation of a false impression that something was
legitimately acquired . To this end, money laundering is essentially aimed at the
injection of ―dirty money‖ into the legal economy, ―to spend and enjoy‖ this money.
This invariably stems from a criminal‖s desire of achieving a financial reward that
can be used either for personal gain, or to finance a further criminal activity. In the
words of MacKrell, ―money laundering helps make crime worthwhile.‖ The illegal
nature of money laundering makes it difficult to measure accurately the amount of
money laundered. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that the
global amount of laundered money is the equivalent of between 2 to 5 per cent of
the world‖s gross domestic product (GDP). Commenting on this exponential
growth, the Managing Director of the IMF indicates:
The estimates of the present scale of money laundering transactions are almost
beyond imagination. This scale poses two sorts of risks: one prudential, the other
macroeconomic. Markets and even smaller economics can be corrupted and
destabilized.106
12.4 Case laws107

The Internet free speech
The Supreme Court has generally used the highest scrutiny when examining laws
restricting indecent speech on the Internet. This is surprising as the Court has
historically not protected speech emanating from new technologies such as film.
Reno v. ACLU
In Reno v. ACLU, the Court found unconstitutional the Communication Decency
Act (CDA), which essentially prohibited the transmission and display of indecent
speech aimed at minors on the Internet. The CDA‖s affirmative defenses allowed
106
Laundering sexual deviance: Targeting online pornography through anti-money laundering (.pdf) by Alex Antoniou et. al.,
The City Law School, City University, London (UK); retrieved from
107
Regulating Internet Pornography Aimed at Children: A Comparative Constitutional Perspective on Passing the Camel
Through the Needle’s Eye by Mark S. Kende; retrieved from
http://www.law2.byu.edu/lawreview4/archives/2007/6/7KENDE.FIN.pdf
187
owners of indecent Web sites to show that they were trying to prevent access by
juveniles.
The Court struck down the CDA, in part because it had vagueness and over breadth
problems. Indeed, the law was broader and had more severe penalties than similar
laws regulating access by minors to indecent books and magazines that had been
examined in earlier Supreme Court cases. The Court noted that the CDA might
even drive out of business some non-profit sites that could not afford the age
verification methods.
The Court‖s main holding, however, was that the CDA was unconstitutional
because it would make it illegal for many adults to place constitutionally protected
indecent material on the Internet, since children might see the images. This de
facto content discrimination meant that the law should receive strict scrutiny. The
Court then ruled against the CDA because of its vagueness, it‖s over breadth, the
availability of Internet filters as an alternative, and the supposedly benign nature of
the Internet technology compared to more invasive broadcast mediums.
The problems with the Reno Court‖s emphasis on content discrimination will be
discussed later. Several other flaws in the Court‖s reasoning deserve mention. The
Court said the Internet was not as dangerous as broadcast technology because the
Internet allegedly requires affirmative steps to gain access, such as knowing a
password. Moreover, the Internet allegedly has warning pages that keep minors
away from serious adult content.
Yet the Internet is more dangerous than print or broadcast because its interactivity
and anonymity allow it to be used by pedophiles. Indeed, children have been
brutalized after being lured into real world meetings with adults through virtual
chat rooms.
The sexual material on the Internet is also far more graphic than anything on the
most exotic cable station. Moreover, the increase in the number of high speed
broadband subscribers means that the Internet is available in many homes, without
affirmative steps being needed for access, just like television. And the warning
pages on the Internet may only cause young viewers to find more creative ways to
access the forbidden fruit, especially since they often contain sexual teasers. There
may be good reasons to protect the Internet from government regulation, but the
‗safer than broadcast‘ argument is not one of them.
188
The fact that Justice Stevens used the highest scrutiny in Reno is all the more
puzzling since he had earlier authored the Young and Pacifica opinions saying that
indecent speech had little social value. Perhaps he was dazzled by the Internet
surfing tour he apparently received, courtesy of the U.S. Supreme Court library,
when Reno was pending. In addition, as Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justice
O‖Connor argued in a separate opinion, the Court could have at least upheld the
CDA as applied to situations where one adult knowingly sends an indecent
message to an unrelated minor.
United States v. American Library Assn.
Admittedly, the Supreme Court has upheld one law regulating Internet
pornography, but only because of the convergence of several factors not present in
the other cases, and only regarding libraries. Thus, this single case does not mean
the Court has become less protective of the Internet. Instead, United States v.
American Library Ass‖n, involved a federal law that conditioned government
funding for Internet access on installing child protection filters at the libraries‖
computer terminals. In upholding the law, the Court relied on the congressional
power to establish spending conditions and noted that libraries could reject
government funds rather than install filters. Although it usually rejects content-
based restrictions, the Court explained that libraries regularly make content-based
decisions in choosing books. The Court also rejected the argument that library
Internet access is a public forum. Lastly, the Court added that any imprecision in
filters was alleviated by the statutory provision allowing librarians to unblock
certain sites upon patron request.
One interesting aspect of this case is that Justice Breyer authored a concurrence,
though he wrote the Ashcroft II dissent denigrating filters. Patrick Garry has also
correctly pointed out that the Court‖s view of the Internet is more sophisticated in
this case than in Reno. To sum up, the Court usually subjects laws aimed at
indecent speech on the Internet to strict scrutiny, and the result is that minors
remain unprotected.
189
12.5 Laws Regulating the Production, Distribution and
Possession of Child Pornography108
The UNCRC provides a baseline international legal standard for the protection of
children from sexual exploitation. Article 34, among other articles which prohibit
the degrading treatment of children, explicitly requires countries to take "all
appropriate national, bilateral, and multilateral measures to prevent ... the
inducement or coercion of a child to engage in any unlawful sexual activity ...
[and] the exploitative use of children in pornographic performances and materials."
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights' Programme of Action for the
Prevention of the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography
reinforces the UNCRC and international efforts to sanction those who exploit
children for pornographic purposes.
Asia and the Pacific Rim
Article 175 of the Japanese Penal Code forbids the printed portrayal of adult
genitals, intercourse and pubic hair. However, such representation of children's
genitalia is not stringently regulated. Furthermore, Japanese commercial producers
have created ingenious ways to avoid prosecution or law enforcement intervention
by creating sexually explicit materials which just barely avoid depiction of
forbidden body parts. Several other Asian nations have recently adopted child
pornography laws. In 1995, Taiwan passed a law criminalizing the production of
paintings, video tapes, photographs, CD-ROMs, "electronic signals" and other
products depicting indecent conduct or sexual interaction involving persons under
18 years of age. The 1993 child protection law passed in the Philippines (Republic
Act No. 7610) includes a provision which prohibits the employment or coercion of
children less than 18 years of age to perform in obscene exhibitions or indecent
shows, whether live or video, or to model in obscene publication or pornographic
materials. It also imposes sanctions on the sale or distribution of such materials.
Sri Lanka (Penal Code Sec. 286A) passed similar legislation in 1995 which
protects children up to 18 years of age. In Cambodia, a draft proposal (Law on the
Abolition of Child Trafficking and Prostitution, Art. 9 A i, ii, iii) for a law against
child exploitation includes a provision which prohibits the production, possession,
108
Child Pornography: An International Perspective (.pdf); retrieved from
http://www.csecworldcongress.org/PDF/en/Stockholm/Background_reading/Theme_papers/Theme%20paper%20Pornography%
201996_EN.pdf
190
importation, exportation or advertisement of drawings, paintings, writings,
photographs, or films which depict persons under 18 years of age in an indecent,
obscene, or derogatory manner. The draft law also contains a confiscatory
provision (Art. 9B).
In Australia, all States and Territories except New South Wales have promulgated
legislation which makes the mere possession of child pornography illegal.
Legislation already existed which makes possession for the purposes of
distribution, sale, or exhibition against the law. In 1995, the Australian Customs
Service initiated a national intelligence project named Amigo enlisting the public
in efforts to establish the nature and content of child pornography being trafficked
in and out of Australia.
Europe
Legal measures designed to deal with pornography vary considerably among
European countries with no common approach to production, distribution, or
possession of pornographic material. In England and Wales, the law makes it a
criminal offense to take, distribute, exhibit or possess even one "indecent"
photograph of a child (Protection of Children Act 1978). The law defines a child as
a person under 16. The determination of "indecency" is a matter for the court. In
the Netherlands, the manufacture, dissemination, transport and export of
pornography involving children under 16 is illegal (Criminal Code, Art. 240b, Sec.
1). In April 1995, the Code was amended to include stiffer sentences and to include
sanctions for the mere possession of child pornography. Norway's penal code was
amended in 1992. The section on child pornography applies directly to the
introduction and possession of child pornography but not to the production of
such.36Section 207a of the Austrian Penal Code, passed in July 1994, imposes
criminal sanctions for both commercial and amateur production and distribution of
child pornography as well as for possession and/or acquisition of the same.
Germany also recently made possession of child pornography an offense under the
German Penal Code. France's Penal Code (Penal Code Art. 227-23) forbids fixing,
recording, or transmitting the pornographic image of a minor and the distribution
of that image. None of the Eastern European countries, with the exception of
Estonia (Penal Code Art. 200/3), however, have laws specifically directed at child
pornography.
191
Many European countries have very rigid mail secrecy laws and mail can be
interfered with only under extraordinary circumstances. Additionally, European
postal authorities do not possess the police powers of U.S. postal inspectors. Some
countries have very strict penalties against sexual intercourse with a child, but very
light sentences or fines for child pornography. Furthermore, "sting" operations
which are routine in the United States are not practiced in Europe.
North America
The U.S. is widely considered to be a major consumer of child pornography but it
has also been among the most aggressive in dealing with perpetrators through the
passage and enforcement of strict child pornography laws. These laws (18 U.S.C.
2251, 2251A, 2252, 2256) currently prohibit the production, receipt, distribution,
possession, transportation, mailing and advertising of any "visual depiction"
involving the use of a child under 18 years of age in sexually explicit conduct.
Sexually explicit conduct includes sexual acts as well as the "lascivious exhibition
of the genitals or pubic area of any person." A more recent law (18 U.S.C. 2258)
makes it a felony for any person outside U.S. territory to produce or traffic in child
pornography with the intent that the materials be imported into the United states--
an extraterritorial application of U.S. law to non-U.S. citizens.
Canada has a very comprehensive child pornography law. Section 163 of the Penal
Code makes it a crime to import, produce, print, or publish any child pornography
which includes representations of children under 18 who are engaged in or who are
depicted as engaged in explicit sexual activity.
Furthermore, mere possession of child pornography is also now prohibited in
Canada.
Regulation of Computer Pornography
Since the advent of computer manipulated child pornography, several countries
have passed legislation supporting an expanded definition of child pornography
which includes "simulated" child pornography (where the person depicted is
considered an adult by law but is obviously portraying a child) or "pseudo" child
pornography which can be computer manipulated or computer generated
pornography. In the United Kingdom, the law explicitly prohibits "pseudo-
photographs" which definition includes "data stored on a computer disc or by other
electronic means which is capable of conversion into a photograph". (Criminal
Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec. 7(8)(9)). In Austria, the law prohibits not
192
only real child pornography, but also material that suggests to an objective
spectator that its production involved the sexual abuse of a child/minor. Similar
statutes in the Netherlands (Penal Code Sec. 240b) and in Canada (Penal Code Sec.
163) could be applied to computer generated pornography. In the United States,
however, the current federal child pornography statutes and most state statutes
apply only to depictions of actual children and not "pseudo" or computer generated
pornography. However, such "pseudo" child pornography may be prosecuted
pursuant to federal obscenity statutes. INTERPOL, in their October 1996 General
Assembly, plans to adopt a resolution that will recommend all countries enact
legislation that criminalizes child pornography and that such legislation should
include "future forms of support such as computers and other virtual
representations."
Other countries have taken steps to regulate the transmission of sexually explicit
material on the Internet. Recently, a Munich prosecutor in Germany demanded that
CompuServe block access to sexually explicit news groups on the Internet from its
on-line service. The government of Singapore has taken dramatic steps to regulate
the Internet by demanding that all Internet servers be licensed by the government
Singapore Broadcasting Authority. This allows them to regulate not only
pornography but all politically sensitive material. Chinese officials have warned
against Internet pornography and have recently visited Singapore to study their
system of regulation.
In the United States, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, signed into law in
February 1996, makes it a felony to knowingly transmit "obscene or indecent
material" over the Internet or on-line computer services if the material may be seen
by children under 18. Immediately after the signing, civil liberty and free speech
groups successfully sought a temporary restraining order to block its enforcement.
In Australia, three States have introduced bills to censor material on the Internet.
Because of the proliferation of inconsistent State and Territory laws, the Standing
Committee of Attorneys General has agreed on the preparation of a draft bill
suitable for a national scheme. The passage of such legislation in many countries is
controversial because it directly challenges the right to freedom of expression
which is highly valued, particularly by the computer on-line community.
193
India109
In India, ―cybercrime against women‖ was an issue of which few talked about and
few worked on and which was suffered by huge numbers of victims helplessly.
The term ―cybercrime against women‖ in India is mostly used to cover sexual
crimes and sexual abuses in the internet, such as morphing the pictures and using it
for purposes of pornography, harassing women with sexually blackmailing /
harassing mails or messages etc., or cyber stalking (Balakrishnan, 2009; Mohan,
2004). This is also evident from the fact that majority of the cases reported to the
police are of the nature of sexual crimes and most of them are booked under the
erstwhile Section 67 (which was meant to cover pornography and obscenity in the
internet) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The following examples depict
the situation on this issue:
In the case of ―Sex Doctor‖, the accused, an orthopedic surgeon named Dr.
Prakash, was found guilty under Section 506 (part II of the section which
prescribes punishment for criminal intimidation to cause death or grievous hurt),
367 (which deals with kidnapping or abduction for causing death or grievous hurt)
and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and Section 67 of Information
Technology Act, 2000 (which dealt with obscene publication in the internet). Dr.
Prakash was accused of taking obscene pictures and videos by forcing women to
perform sexual acts and then later uploading and selling these videos as adult
entertainment materials abroad. He was sentenced for life imprisonment and a
pecuniary fine of Rupees. 1,25,000 under the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention)
Act, 1956 (CNN-IBN, 2008).
In the case of State of Tamil Nadu vs. Suhas Katti, which is considered as one of
the first cases to be booked under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act);
the accused Katti posted obscene, defamatory messages about a divorced woman
in the Yahoo message group. The accused advertised the victim as one who solicits
for sex. The accused was convicted under sections 469, 509 of Indian Penal Code
(IPC) and 67 of IT Act 2000 and was sentenced to undergo 2 years rigorous
imprisonment and fine (India News, 2010).
Rehabilitation
109
Cyber Victimization of Women and Cyber Laws in India (.pdf); retrieved from http://www.irma-
international.org/viewtitle/55537/
194
12.6 Misuse of technology in the form of obscenity and
pornography
Unlike the later cybercrimes which threaten the very credibility of the internet,
cyber pornography promotes the misuse of the internet. Cyber obscenity or
pornography is a threat to the netizens. This would include pornographic websites;
pornographic magazines produced using computers (to publish and print the
material) and the Internet (to download and transmit pornographic pictures, photos,
writings etc.
12.7 Summary
Computer-mediated activities falling within the scope of cyber-
pornography/obscenity can be either explicitly prohibited by the law or deemed
deviant, namely objectionable because they breach social norms without
automatically attracting criminal sanctions. While the debate surrounding this
category is complicated by the fact that not all kinds of pornography are illegal, the
primary focus of this paper is directed first, towards online representations of
sexual deviance, such as indecent images of children circulated via pedophilias
networks; and second, towards activities that carry formal legal sanctions and can
be classified as cybercrime either in a broad sense.
12.8 References
1. Laundering sexual deviance: Targeting online pornography through anti-
money laundering (.pdf) by Alex Antoniou et. al., The City Law School, City
University, London (UK); retrieved from
2. Issues & Answers: Pornography by Andy Lewis, March 1, 2007 (Ethics &
Religious Liberty Commission); retrieved from http://erlc.com/article/issues-
answers-pornography
3. Regulating Internet Pornography Aimed at Children: A Comparative
Constitutional Perspective on Passing the Camel Through the Needle‖s Eye by
Mark S. Kende; retrieved from
http://www.law2.byu.edu/lawreview4/archives/2007/6/7KENDE.FIN.pdf
195
4. Child Pornography: An International Perspective (.pdf); retrieved from
http://www.csecworldcongress.org/PDF/en/Stockholm/Background_reading/Them
e_papers/Theme%20paper%20Pornography%201996_EN.pdf
5. Cyber Victimization of Women and Cyber Laws in India (.pdf); retrieved
from http://www.irma-international.org/viewtitle/55537/

6.14.1 ___________ is rampant within society.
6.14.2 The growth of technology has also increased the devastating growth of
_______________.
6.14.3 ____________ is a process by which the origin of illegal earnings is
disguised.
6.14.4 ____________ of the Japanese Penal Code forbids the printed portrayal
of adult genitals, intercourse and pubic hair.
6.14.5 In _____________, three States have introduced bills to censor material
on the Internet.

1. Pornography
2. Child pornography
3. Money laundering
4. Article 175
5. Australia

1. What do you mean by pedophiles?
2. What is the difference between obscenity and pornography?
3. How money laundering activities relates with pornography?
4. Discuss any two case laws of pornography.
5. Describe some legal regulations applicable in the matter of pornography.
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Unit-13
Obscenity and Pornography: Indian
Perspective
Objectives:
 What is Obscenity and Pornography in Indian context?
 What are the law regulating the Production, Distribution and Possession of
Child Pornography in India?
 How misuse of technology is done in the form of obscenity and pornography
is done in India.
Structure:
13.1 Obscenity and Pornography
13.2 Pornography
13.3 Cyber Pornography
13.4 Reasons for Rise in Cyber Pornography
13.5 Indian Legislative Response to Online Child Pornography
13.6 Relevant Case Law
13.7 Misuse of technology in the form of obscenity and pornography
13.8 Summary
13.9 References
13.1 Obscenity and Pornography110

―Obscenity‖ or ―Pornography‖ is posing a great deal of threat to the Society, since
in any civilized society act or conduct of or work of obscenity is liable to be
110
Digital Obscenity: Issues & Challenges in India by Ashok Wadje, National Law University, Jodhpur, January 4, 2013;
retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2196473
197
condemned and regulated. In fact, it is very difficult to define the term ―obscenity‖
or ―pornography‖ and thereby to regulate it. The law which regulates the obscenity
all over the world finds itself difficult to have uniformity. Ideological and cultural
differences are the causing factors behind that and also of course the problem of
identification. Problem, in a nutshell, has been to identify a definition of obscenity
that preserves the power of legislature to regulate the worst forms of pornography
for public welfare, and yet does not deter freedom of speech and expression.
Advancement of Science and rapid growth of Information Technology, again
complicated and difficult situation, since regulation and identification of an
obscenity on Internet is very difficult. The Internet has often condemned over the
availability of pornography. The growth of the Internet has created an entirely new
medium for the dissemination of any message, images, pictures including
pornographic one. Not only content has been criticized, but also its ready
availability for users of all ages. The worldwide nature of such material as well as
the ability to download images makes the system virtually impossible to censor.
The problem over here is graver when we talk about cyber obscenity. For that
matter we need to see firstly what does mean by obscenity off-line. Off-line
obscenity covers generally, language, literature or representation dealing with
erotic, pornographic and sexually perverted subjects. But the obscenity of any
matter lies in its effect on the mind of the reader or viewer more than in any
definable quality of the matter itself.
13.2 Pornography111
The word ―Pornography‖ is derived from the Greek words ―Porne‖ means prostitute
―graphein‖ means to write. It further implies that the subject is not mutual love or
love at all, but domination and violence against women. It ends with a root
―graphos‖, which means ―writing about‖ or ―description of‖ which puts still more
distance between the subjects and objects. Thus, it induces a spontaneous deep
desire for closeness with object and voyeur, a dangerous situation rendering a
person to become a covert, passive, and powerless observer of the pornographic
activities written or otherwise available in cyberspace. Originally, limited to any
111
Issue of Jurisdiction in Combating Cyber Crimes: Issues and Challenges Pornography and Indian Jurisdiction by Mohit
Mittal, December 02, 2012; retrieved from http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/issue-of-jurisdiction-in-combating-
cyber-crimes-issues-and-challenges-pornography-and-indian-jurisdiction-1386-1.html
198
art or literary work dealing with sex and sexual themes, its scope has now
broadened. Pornography is easily recognized but is often difficult to define
concisely.
Pornography being an international problem had been a query for many of law
formulating agency, there are various problem in describing the term pornography.
Even in I.T. Act, 2000 in India, the term has not been defined.
Pornography is seldom attempted to be defined by lawmakers. It was attempted to
be defined by Mackinnon-Dworkin as ―graphic sexually explicit subordination of
women, whether in picture or in words, that includes women being presented
dehumanized as sexual objects, things or commodities or they being presented as
sexual objects who enjoy pain or humiliation or being presented as sexual objects
who experience sexual pleasure in being raped or being presented as sexual objects
tied up or cut up or mutilated or bruised or physically hurt or being presented in
postures of sexual submission, servility or display―s or women―s body parts not
limited to vaginas, breasts and buttocks- are exhibited, such that women are
reduced to those parts or women are presented as whores by nature or women
being penetrated by objects or animals or women being presented in scenarios off
degradations, injury, torture, shown as filthy or inferior, bleeding or hurt in a
context that makes these conditions sexual. Pornography not only includes the
female sex workers also about subordination of Children (both male and female)
and adult male workers.
Thus, there is no particular category named as pornography in law. It is also
considered to be a more aggravated form of Obscenity. Pornography is usually
regulated by the obscenity laws. Thus, there is no unanimous agreement upon
definition of pornography among scholars. Courts have also refrained from
attempting to resolve the debate of definition of pornography.
13.3 Cyber Pornography

Cyber pornography refers to stimulating sexual or other erotic activity over the
internet. It would include pornographic websites; pornographic magazines
produced using computers (to publish and print the material) and the Internet (to
download and transmit pornographic pictures, photos, writing, etc.) Information
technology made it much easier to create and distribute pornographic materials
199
through the Internet, as it can be transmitted in any part of the world within a few
seconds. The pornographic industry is larger than the revenues of the top
technology companies combined: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, e-bay, and
the likes.
The growth of technology has flip side to it causing multiple problems in everyday
life. Internet has provided a medium for the facilitation of crimes like pornography.
As a result 50% of the websites exhibit pornographic material on the internet and
thus, considered to be, one of the largest businesses on the Internet today. The
increasing numbers of pornographic websites that flourish on the Internet are
evidence to it. Owing to the fast reproduce on new storage media like Hard-disk,
CD-ROMS, Pen- Drives, etc. it proves as a fast means of its distribution.
Section 67 reads as under112
Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 penalizes cyber pornography.
Other Indian laws that deal with pornography include the Indecent Representation
of Women (Prohibition) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
Whoever publishes or transmits or causes to be published or transmitted in the
electronic form, any material which is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest
or if its effect is such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely,
having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter
contained or embodied in it, shall be punished on first conviction with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years and
with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees and in the event of second or
subsequent conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which
may extend to five years and also with fine which may extend to ten lakh rupees.
This section explains what is considered to be obscene and also lists the acts in
relation to such obscenity that are illegal.
Explanation: Any material in the context of this section would include video files,
audio files, text files, images, animations etc. These may be stored on CDs,
websites, computers, cell phones etc.
Lascivious is something that tends to excite lust.
Appeals to, in this context, means ‗arouses interest‘.
Prurient interest is characterized by lustful thoughts.
112
Law relating to Cyber Pornography in India by Sagar Rahurkar, Asian School of Cyber Laws; retrieved from
http://www.chmag.in/article/sep2011/law-relating-cyber-pornography-india
200
Effect means to produce or cause some change or event.
Tend to deprave and corrupt in the context of this section means ‗to lead someone
to become morally bad‘.
Persons here refers to natural persons (men, women, children) and not artificial
persons (such as companies, societies etc.)
To be considered obscene for the purpose of this section, the matter must satisfy at
least one of the following conditions:-
 it must tend to excite lust, or
 it must arouse interest in lustful thoughts, or
 it must cause a person to become morally bad.
The above conditions must be satisfied in respect of a person who is the likely
target of the material.
13.4 Reasons for Rise in Cyber Pornography113

a) Firstly, the technological development has reached to such an extent that life
without such communication devices is not possible. This led to fast and easy
access to these technologies, making it more and more effortless as compared to
the traditional form. With this, one can access the pornographic material online.
One can view this content at free of cost in the privacy of their own home.
b) One finds it difficult to purchase this type of content in the printed form,
especially the youngsters and children―s. There was a fear among them which
comes with purchasing pornographic materials or embarrassment of being caught
or with it. Such hurdle has now been removed as it is available in a matter of
seconds and without any fear of being caught.
13.5 Indian Legislative Response to Online Child

Pornography114
The government recognized the growing menace of Child Pornography and its fast
spread like fire due to the advent of internet which is against our very ethos which
113
Issue of Jurisdiction in Combating Cyber Crimes: Issues and Challenges Pornography and Indian Jurisdiction by Mohit
Mittal, December 02, 2012; retrieved from http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/issue-of-jurisdiction-in-combating-
cyber-crimes-issues-and-challenges-pornography-and-indian-jurisdiction-1386-1.html
114
Regulating Child Pornography on Computer- Legal Issues by Neeraj Aarora, January 15, 2009; retrieved from
http://www.neerajaarora.com/regulating-child-pornography-on-computer-legal-issues/
201
is based on high ethics and morality. The first legislative response to online
obscenity (publication and transmission of obscene material through electronic
medium) came in form of Section 67 Information Technology Act, 2000.
However, the Section 67 dealt with online obscenity generally which
includes child pornography. The said section makes an act of publishing or
transmitting or causes to be published in the electronic form, any material which is
lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest or if its effect is such as to tend to
deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant
circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it.
The internet has no boundaries and wide availability of Child Pornography
material on the internet alarmed the Government. It is said that Child are another
form of GOD as they are free from any evil virtues. There was no second thought
to the fact that the ‗Child Pornography‘ is the worst form of pornography and
more heinous than the general pornography. The need was felt to make the Child
Pornography a standalone crime and to make stringent punishment to deter the
perpetrator of child pornography. Thus, to keep the child away from the evil effect
of Child Pornography, it was deemed necessary to amend the Information
Technology Act, 2000 to make stringent provision for offence of ‗Child
Pornography‘. The proposed amendment in Section 67 has added a Subsection (2),
the amended section has made deliberate and intentional act of publishing or
transmitting through electronic form any material which relates to child
pornography punishable with imprisonment for a term not less than three years and
with a fine which may extend to ten lakh rupees and in the event of a second or
subsequent conviction with imprisonment of either description for a term which
may extend to seven years and also with fine which may extend to ten lakh rupees.
The amended Section has defined ‗Child Pornography‘ as any material that
features a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. What would be the ‗Sexually
Explicit Conduct‘ is however not been defined.
Thus, the would be Indian legislative response to address ‗Child Pornography‘ by
amendment to the IT Act is a comprehensive one as the definition of ‗Child
Pornography‘ has wide amplitude as it includes any child pornography from
pornographic images made using actual children to include computer-generated
images appearing to be children engaged in sexually explicit conduct for example;
Animation films depicting child sex.
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13.6 Relevant Case Law115
1. Avnish Bajaj v. State (NCT of Delhi) decided on 29/05/2008, Delhi High
Court Cri. M.C. 3066/2006.
Brief Overview of the Facts of the Case:
The Petitioner is the managing director of Baazee India Private Limited (BIPL)
now known as Ebay India Private Limited (EIPL). The Company operates a
website called Baazee.com, a website which is an e-commerce platform which
facilitates exchanges between buyers and sellers. The said website carried a listing
for an objectionable video showing two minors performing sexually explicit acts.
This clip was advertised for sale for a period of thirty hours on the said website by
a seller during which eight persons with distinct e-mail ids had purchased the clip.
It was removed after the Community Watch of the Website made a report about the
said objectionable video.
The Video was sold for a price of Rs.125 by the seller one Ravi Raj who was a
fourth year student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. The website
already had existing content filter systems but the student managed to evade the
system with a manipulation of keywords and listing it under the books category.
He adopted a disguised registered address as Alice Electronics from Kharagpur.
The buyer could choose numerous payment options one of which was ‗Paisa Pay‘
a payment system unique to the Baazee.com website using which Bazee.com
would get a commission of Rs.3 per transaction. The buyer in this particular
transaction had to pay a total ofRs.128, Rs.3 of which went to BIPL and Rs.125 of
which was remitted to the seller by way of HDFC bank. On the 9thof November
2004, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police sent notices under Section 91 of the
Code of Criminal Procedure to Sharat Dugumatri (Senior Manager, Trust and
Safety, BIPL) who is accused no.3 and obtained information on the working of the
Baazee.com portal. On the 10thof December in response to a query addressed to
Baazee.com Sharat provided the details of the seller and the buyers who bought the
item and also informed the police that the system had been locked so as to prevent
them from modifying their contact details. On the 12thof December, Sharat
115
Legal Framework Regulating Internet Obscenity: An Indian Perspective by Dharmendra Chatur; retrieved from
http://www.academia.edu/805572/Legal_Framework_Regulating_Internet_Obscenity_An_Indian_Perspective
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disclosed details of the payments made to the sellers and confirmed that payments
of Rs.17, 787.87 were disbursed to the seller by way of HDFC payment services.
Upon the arrest of Ravi Raj the metropolitan magistrate took cognizance of the
offenses under Section 67 of the Indian IT Act and Sections 292 and294 of the
Indian Penal Code. The accused were summoned to face trial. Ravi Raj has been
absconding so his trial has been separated. The petition sought to quash criminal
proceedings against the petitioner.
Holding:
Are the offenses under Sections 292 and 294 IPC and Section 67 IT Act
attracted?‗If any ―book, pamphlet, paper, writing, drawing, painting,
representation, figure or any other object is ―lascivious or appeals to the prurient
interest or ―if taken as a whole is such as to tend to deprave or corrupt person,
who are likely to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it, then such
object ―shall be deemed to be obscene. The law in this regard has been explained
by the Supreme Court in Ranjit D. Udeshi v. State of Maharashtra AIR 1965 SC
881, C.T. Prim v. State AIR1961 Cal 177 and Samaresh Bose v. Amal Mitra AIR
1986 SC 967. ‘In the present case, there are two pieces of material that call for
scrutiny. One is the video clip and the other the listing on the website baazee.com.
It was not argued by learned counsel for the petitioner that the video clip in
question did not even prima facie attract the definition of an obscene object within
the meaning of Section 292 (1) IPC. Also, it is a matter of record that a separate
case has been instituted before the Juvenile Justice Board against the child
involved in the act. As will be noticed hereafter, the listing itself suggested that
even according to the seller the clip answered the description ‗of child
pornographic material‘. Prima facie it appears that the listing itself answered the
definition of obscenity since it contained words or writing that appealed to the
prurient interest or if taken as a whole was such as to tend to deprave or corrupt
person, who are likely to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it.
The listing contained explicit words that left a person in no doubt that what was
sought to be sold was lascivious. The words ‗This video is of a girl of DPS RK
PURAM which has been filmed by his boyfriend in very sexual explicit
conditions‘ are a prominent feature of the listing which invited a potential buyer to
purchase the obscene object which was the video clip by projecting it as child
204
pornography since the reference is to school children. Despite the arguments to the
contrary of the learned senior counsel for the petitioner, this Court did agree with
their submissions that the listing itself was not even prima facie an obscene
material or text. As far as the listing is concerned, its contents were in the
knowledge of BIPL the moment the listing was placed on the website by Ravi Raj.
The offence under Section 292 (2) (a) IPC gets attracted when the prosecution is
able to prove that a person has ‗publicly exhibited or in any manner put into
circulation‘ or ‗has in his possession‘ the obscene object. Even if Ravi Raj, and
not BIPL, may have inserted the listing, the website of BIPL certainly possessed it.
The website was easily accessible on the net and therefore the website also
publicly exhibited the listing. It cannot be said therefore that in respect of the
listing, Section 292 (2) (a) IPC is not even prima facie attracted as far as BIPL is
concerned. The advertisement might itself have been inserted by the seller but the
website facilitated the sale by carrying the listing which informed the potential
buyer that such a video clip that is pornographic can be procured for a price. For
instance, there could be a notice board in the premises of a club or association, on
which is pasted a listing by one of the members offering for sale a pornographic
film. It would not be open to the club/association to say that it in providing space
on its notice board it is not by itself ―making known that an obscene object
―can be procured from or through any person. Section 292(d) would be attracted
in such a situation to fasten criminal liability on the club itself. If it is proved that a
particular member was aware of the placing of such listing on the notice board
such member would also be liable. Baazee.com here was using a public space in
the form of a website that could be accessed by any Internet. The question for the
purposes of Section 67 is whether the website caused the publishing of such
obscene material. For this purpose, the chain of transactions is relevant. Once the
interested buyer gets on to baazee.comand views the listing, he then opts to buy the
said product and then makes payment. Only then the remaining part of the chain is
complete and the product, which in this case is the video clip in electronic form, is
then transmitted through an email attachment and then can get further transmitted
from one person to another.
The video clip sent as an email attachment can straightway be downloaded onto to
the buyer―s hard disc and numerous copies thereof can be made for further
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transmission. The publishing in this form is therefore instantaneous and can be
repeated manifold. In fact in the present case, the transmission of the clip to eight
buyers located in different parts of the country took place in a very short span of
time. Therefore, it cannot be said that baazee.com in this case did not even prima
facie cause the publication of the obscene material. The ultimate transmission of
the video clip might be through the seller to the buyer butin a fully automated
system that limb of the transaction cannot take place unless all the previous steps
of registration with the website and making payment take place. It is a continuous
chain. When five to six links of the chain are under the direct control of the website
and it is only on completion of each step that the final two steps which result in the
actual publication of the obscene material ensue, it cannot be said that the website
did not even prima facie cause publication of the obscene material. To summarize
this part of the discussion, this Court finds that a prima facie case for the offence
under Section 292 IPC and Section 67 IT Act is made out as far as the owner of the
website baazee.com, i.e. the company BIPL (renamed as EIPL) is concerned. The
offence under Section294 IPC is not even prima facie attracted. The Court also
held that the petitioner could not be held separately liable for the offence but that
only the Company was liable.
2. Dr. Prakash v. State of Tamil Nadu (2002) 7 SCC 759.
The petitioner in this case was detained under section 3 (1) of the Tamil Nadu
Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Drug Offenders, Goondas,
Immoral Traffic Offenders and Slum Grabbers Act. The main grounds of detention
were that he was indulging in offences under section 67 of the Information
Technology Act, 2000, sections 4 and6 of the Indecent Representation of Women
(Prohibition) Act, 1986 and under section 27 of the Arms Act, 1969. The petitioner
challenged his detention under Article 32 of the Constitution.
The petition was dismissed, as the Supreme Court did not find much merit in the
plea that the delay of two days in furnishing translated copies of documents had
caused any prejudice to the detent. It held that the contents of the letter received
from members of the public pro bono public, were not extraneous or irrelevant.
This case highlights the importance of the courts exercising the interests of the
contemporary society and particularly the influence of the ―obscene material in
electronic form‖ on it while interpreting section 67. For this purpose, even the State
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Governments may have to apprehend perpetrators of ―cyber obscenity‖ by invoking
local state legislations accordingly.
3. Maqbool Fida Husain v. Raj Kumar Pandey Delhi HC Crl. Rev. Pet.No. 280
and 282/2007.
Judgment dated 08/05/2008.
The petitions have been clubbed into one petition. The petitions seek to challenge
summoning orders issued against the petitioner over certain paintings which
celebrate nudity. The Ld. ACMM, Delhi issued summons to the petitioner for
various offences Under Section 292/294/298 of the Indian Penal Code ('IPC' for
short) against which the present revision petitions have been filed.
Holding:
In the conspectus of the legal principles enunciated and discussed aforesaid both of
India and across the globe, the legal tests governing the law on obscenity are clear.
On applying the said tests governing obscenity, in my considered view, the said
painting cannot be said to fall within the purview of Section 292 thereby making it
obscene. The impugned painting on the face of it is neither lascivious nor appeals
to the prurient interests. At the same time, the person who is likely to view the said
painting would not tend to be depraved or corrupted. In other words, they said
painting would not arouse sexual interest in a perverted inordinate person or would
not morally corrupt and debase a person viewing the said painting. Though some
might feel offended or disgusted at the very inception of seeing the alleged Mother
India in nude but that by itself and nothing more in my opinion is not sufficient to
qualify the test of obscenity.
The said painting depicting India in a human form in no manner has that tendency
to make an average person feel embarrassed by naked portrayal of a concept which
has no particular face to it since the painting has not lost its artistic
value/touch.‗An attempt to understand the said painting from the
artist's/petitioner's perspective would show how the painter by way of an abstract
expression has tried to elucidate the concept of a nation in the form of a distressed
woman. No doubt, the concept of a nation has had a long association with the idea
of motherhood but just because the artist has expressed it in nude does not make
the painting obscene per se thereby satisfying the test that nudity or sex alone
cannot be said to be obscene. If the painting is looked as a whole, it would reveal
that that the revulsion referred to by learned Counsel for the respondents of
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patriotic nationals would not arise for the reason that except the fact that it is in
nude, there is nothing which can be considered as pinching to the eye.
As a matter of fact, the aesthetic touch to the painting dwarfs the so called
obscenity in the form of nudity and renders it so picayune and insignificant that the
nudity in the painting can easily be overlooked.‘Once Hans Hofmann said and I
quote, "A work of art is a world in itself reflecting senses and emotions of the
artist's world." To put it differently in the words of Edward Hopper, "Great art is
the outward expression of an inner life in the artist." If the above holds true, then it
would not be wrong to suggest that the petitioner is pained by the growing untold
misery of our nation and made an attempt to bring the same out on a canvass. The
artist's creativity in this painting is evident from the manner in which the artist by
way of a tear and ruffled, unkempt, open hair of the woman tried to portray the sad
and the dispirited face of our nation who seems to have suffered a great deal of
anguish and agony. A woman's sorrow has been described by the way the woman
is lying with her eyes closed, with one arm raised on her face and a tear dropping
from the eye.
The object of painting the woman in nude is also part of the same expression and is
obviously not to stimulate the viewer's prurience but instead to shake up the very
conscious of the viewer and to invoke in him empathy for India and abhorrence for
the culprits. The person who may view the painting is likely to react in tears,
silence or analogous to the same but no way near the feelings of lust. There can be
many interpretations to the painting. One of the interpretations to it can be to show
the disconsolate India which is entangled in various problems like corruption,
criminalization, crisis of leadership, unemployment, poverty, over population, low
standard of living, fading values and ethics etc. The other can be that Bharat Mata
is perhaps just used as a metaphor for being so bereft because of the earthquake
which occurred around the time when this painting was made. Other than this, the
bold use of colour and the depiction of the great range of Himalayas by way of the
hair flowing of the women restore the artistic touch in the painting. One of the tests
in relation to judging nude/seminude pictures of women as obscene is also a
particular posture or pose or the surrounding circumstances which may render it to
be obscene but in the present painting, apart from what is already stated above, the
contours of the woman's body represent nothing more than the boundaries/map of
India.
208
There can be a numbers of postures or poses that one can think of which can really
stimulate a man's deepest hidden passions and desires. To my mind, art should not
be seen in isolation without going into its onomatopoetic meaning and it is here I
quote Mr. Justice Stewart of the US Supreme Court in Jacobell is v. Ohio 378 U.S.
184 (1964) who defined' obscenity' as, "I will know it when I see it". The nude
woman in the impugned painting is not shown in any peculiar kind of a pose or
posture nor are her surroundings so painted which may arouse sexual feelings or
that of lust in the minds of the deviants in order to call it obscene. The placement
of the Ashoka Chakra or the States in the painting is also not on any particular
body part of the woman which may be deemed to show disrespect to the Ashoka
Chakra/States and the same was conceded by the learned Counsel for the
respondent during the course of the arguments advanced. Even if a different view
had to be taken that if the painter wanted to depict India in human form, it may
have been more appropriate to cloth the woman in some manner may be by
draping a sari or by a flowing cloth etc., but that alone cannot be made a ground to
prosecute the painter.
It is possible that some persons may hold a more orthodox or conservative view on
the depiction of Bharat Mata as nude in the painting but that itself would not
suffice to give rise to a criminal prosecution of a person like the petitioner who
may have more liberal thoughts in respect of mode and manner of depiction of
Bharat Mata. The very theme of our Constitution encompassing liberty, equality
and fraternity would abhor the non-tolerance of another view. The judge also must
not apply his more liberal or conservative view in determining this aspect but
should place himself in the shoes of the painter and endeavor to decipher the theme
and thought process of the painter who created the painting. It would always be
prudent for the judge to err on the side of a liberal interpretation giving the scheme
of our Constitution. This case also held that the test of obscenity under section 67
the Information technology Act and the IPC is similar.
4. Vaibhav Jain v. Vice Chancellor, Devi Ahilya VishwaVidyalaya & Ors
Madhya Pradesh HC, W.P 837 and 859/2001.
Date of Judgment- 3/1/2002.
Overview of the facts:
All the three petitioners of these three writ petitions are student of fourth year
(VIIIth Semester) of six years M.C.A. degree course in International Institute of
209
Professional Studies (for short IIPS) of Devi Ahilya VishwaVidyalaya. Indore. It is
an Institute where both boys and girls are receiving education. On 9-4-2001 some
girl‖s students studying in VIIIth Semester orally complained to Dr. A. K. Raman,
Director of the Institute regarding circulation of two Web site (most popular name
in computer language) containing obscene pictures in the names of these girls
together with obscene comments in English in the name of each girl on each
picture. The girls requested for holding of an inquiry by the Director to avoid any
publicity and embarrassing situation to all of them. Sensing the seriousness of the
issue, at the same unfortunately got paper publicity in town, the Director,
immediately asked Mr. Imroz Khan -- a software engineer working in the Institute
to probe into the matter and find out its origin. The inquiry was then made by Mr.
Khan which inter alia revealed that the entire episode began with sending of one e-
mail message which was sent from one Internet Account bearing T. No. 260598
belonging to one petitioner Vaibhav Jain's residence. It was also found that one
such e-mail message was also sent by another petitioner -- Ravi Nawal to all
students of VIIIth Semester. In these e-mail, students were invited to visit these
two web sites. In this e-mail, the details of web sites were mentioned. The authors
of these two web sites were directed to forth with remove the web sites. Looking to
the seriousness of the Issue, the matter was also reported to police, by the Institute,
the offending computers of these petitioners from their respective houses and
which were used for preparation of these offending web site were seized by the
police together with obscene pictures shown in those web sites.
A report was then submitted by Mr. Khan to the director of Institute, who in turn
set up an inquiry committee immediately consisting of four senior professors to
examine the issue to find out persons responsible for the entire episode and submit
the report. The inquiry committee then summoned these three writ petitioners and
one Mr. A Singh and recorded their statements in detail in question/answer forms
on the issue relating to offending two websites and its origin. The committee then
considered the entire issue on the basis of the material, statements of the petitioners
and submitted the misreport to Vice-Chancellor. The Vice Chancellor after taking
into account all facts and the report submitted to him, passed the impugned order
dated19-4-2001 holding these three petitioners to be prima facie responsible and
architect of offending web sites. So far as petitioner -- Vaibhav Jain was
concerned, he was rusticated from the Institute with immediate effect. Whereas,
210
other two writ petitioners i.e. -- Ravi Nawal and Rahul Shah were debarred from
appearing in examination of the current session with immediate effect. It is against
this order, all the three students (petitioners) have felt aggrieved and have filed
these three individual writs.
Holding:
The writ petitions were dismissed and the impugned order of rustication was
upheld by the Court based on the gravity of the issue. The questions regarding
natural justice were dismissed as, in the judge‖s opinion; the inquiry instituted by
the Vice Chancellor itself was a manifestation of such a natural justice process.
The Judge also, as obiter dicta, remarked:‗I cannot, however, resist myself from
making some observations which I feel may serve good in a time to come. This
Court views with concern the menace pervading in the student community
emanating from Educational Institutions. This incident has crossed the limits of
decency, morality and humanity. The questions, arise, where the country‖s future,
heading to? And who have to be blamed for this occurrence. Parents or teachers?
Imposition of punishment in itself is no solution to the problem. It does not serve
good to either though it is necessary to maintain the discipline in the Institution.
A time has come to eradicate this evil arising out of use of this latest and new
cyber technology and teach the students of their ill effects rather than to tell them
their real use -- though it is equally necessary. The immature and unpolluted minds
of young and bright students in their studies, as I see from the reports filed by the
petitioner in support of their case if not controlled at a proper time, such many
more incidence in other shape are bound to occur. It is thus the moral responsibility
of Guru imparting the education to ensure that every student gets only the real
knowledge of education so that his shishya becomes a model student of future to
uplift not only the name of his Guru but also the name of Institution where he
received the education and also his family. Equally, it is the duty of parents to
ensure that their children are nurtured in most congenial and good atmosphere
under their parental care without being influenced by Western Media impact, on
the immature brain. It is hoped that the Institution so to the parents will rise to an
occasion and will make sincere endeavour to create such healthy atmosphere, in
the pious temple of education, as also in family in the larger Interest of society as a
whole.‘
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Rehabilitation
13.7 Misuse of technology in the form of obscenity and
pornography
In reality it is seen many chat friends enjoy teasing their women friends by words
such as ‗sexy‘, ‗attractive‘ which are the virtual beginning of cyber obscenity.
They slowly take their female friends into confidence and start discussing about
their own problems like a true friend. Hence in many occasions they are successful
in turning the net friendship into a strong bond and gradually proceed to send
obscene or derogatory remarks. If the recipient shies away, the sender of such
messages would become more encouraged to continue. The problem would be
solved only when the victimised woman then and there report back or even warn
the abuser about taking strong actions.
13.8 Summary
The Internet has often condemned over the availability of pornography. The
growth of the Internet has created an entirely new medium for the dissemination of
any message, images, pictures including pornographic one. Not only content has
been criticized, but also its ready availability for users of all ages. The worldwide
nature of such material as well as the ability to download images makes the system
virtually impossible to censor. The problem over here is graver when we talk about
cyber obscenity. For that matter we need to see firstly what does mean by
obscenity off-line.
13.9 References
1) Digital Obscenity: Issues & Challenges in India by Ashok Wadje, National
Law University, Jodhpur, January 4, 2013; retrieved from
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2196473
2) Issue of Jurisdiction in Combating Cyber Crimes: Issues and Challenges
Pornography and Indian Jurisdiction by Mohit Mittal, December 02, 2012;
retrieved from http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/issue-of-
jurisdiction-in-combating-cyber-crimes-issues-and-challenges-pornography-and-
indian-jurisdiction-1386-1.html
212
3) Law relating to Cyber Pornography in India by Sagar Rahurkar, Asian
School of Cyber Laws; retrieved from http://www.chmag.in/article/sep2011/law-
relating-cyber-pornography-india
4) Regulating Child Pornography on Computer- Legal Issues by Neeraj Aarora,
January 15, 2009; retrieved from http://www.neerajaarora.com/regulating-child-
pornography-on-computer-legal-issues/
5) Legal Framework Regulating Internet Obscenity: An Indian Perspective by
Dharmendra Chatur; retrieved from
http://www.academia.edu/805572/Legal_Framework_Regulating_Internet_Obscen
ity_An_Indian_Perspective
1) ________ and ___________ is posing a great deal of threat to the Society,
2) The word ―Pornography‖ is derived from the Greek words ―__________‖
means prostitute ―__________‖ means to write.
3) _______________ refers to stimulating sexual or other erotic activity over
the internet.
4) _________ of the Information Technology Act, 2000 penalizes cyber
pornography.
5) ____________ is something that tends to excite lust.
1) Obscenity/Pornography
2) Porne/graphein
3) Cyber pornography
4) Section 67
5) Lascivious
1. What is the difference between pornography and cyber pornography?
2. What do you mean by cyber pornography?
3. Discuss, why cyber pornography grows in a rapid way in present scenario?
4. What all are the laws for pornography described under IT Act, 2000?
5. How Indian legislative show response to online child pornography? Under
which section; explain
213
Unit-14
Cyber Crimes Investigation Global and
Indian Perspective
Objectives:
 What is Computer Forensics?
 What are the flaws in its Current Scenario?
 How misuse of cyber forensics and investigation is done.
Structure:
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Computer Forensics
14.3 Legal Scenario
14.4 Flaws in Current Scenario
14.5 Misuse of cyber forensics and investigation
14.6 Summary
14.7 References
14.1 Introduction
In the era of 21st century which is going more advances and developing day by day,
where technologies promote themselves with a rapid rate, which attracts human
mind as it is much suitable for them in their busy & hectic schedule. However, all
new technologies are less time consuming and much beneficial for human point of
view.
Since, 21st century is much popular in itself which is stick in every human mind as
it is an era which is now known for the upcoming war i.e., termed as cyber war
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where the fight is not between arms and explosives but it occurs between
computers/laptops or any electronic gadget which consists of web application in it.
However, security is much important area for each and every organization or any
firms which consists of personnel information of any individual. The challenges in
such cases are not only technological, but also jurisdictional. Many countries are
involving itself to combating the cybercrime by implementing laws and acts, while
India is a country which implement their jurisdictional problems by implementing
Information Technology Act,2000 (Amended 2008) with certain guidelines,
various laws for cybercrime with its objective.
The issues which are arising with Indian Government are that many of its
government officials didn‖t know how to investigate cybercrimes. However, this is
not the problem of Indian government but many other countries facing the same
problem with their officials. To conflict with this issue government have to
promote some officials who are experts and consists of a sound or good knowledge
of cybercrimes, solution for it and also last but not least an official also consists of
a fine knowledge of cyber laws and its implementation. For which they firstly have
to know about search and seizure of digital evidence and after that they should get
aware of how to preserve these evidences.
14.2 Computer Forensics

Computer forensics can be categorized in two categories: firstly, the discovery,
recovery, preservation and control of electronic data has been investigate,
secondly, the analysis, verification and presentation of e-evidence has been done
and present in court of law for further proceedings. The collection of electronic
evidence must be followed with five basic rules as follows:
 First one is admissibility which is the most basic rule to be followed in court
of law.
 Evidence should be authentic, if it should not tie with the incident positively,
then it should be difficult to prove anything with the use of that evidence.
 It should be complete and reliable. Since, an evidence collection and analysis
procedures must not cast doubt on the authenticity of the evidences.
215
 Lastly, the evidence which is presented in front of jury should be
understandable and believable.
While, if it should be followed with general procedure of collecting and analyzing
evidence. Then there are four step procedures which an official have to be
followed during the time of investigation i.e. identification of evidence,
preservation of evidence, analysis of evidence and finally presentation of evidence.
However, if we deal with the collection procedure of digital or electronic evidence
then in this situation an official follows such steps i.e.
Find the Evidence
Create an order of
Find the relevant data
volatility
remove external collect the document

avenues of change evidence everything
Fig. Collection Steps

Although, the major step followed for controlling the contamination of evidences
is the chain of custody where the data once collected, then it should get protected
from contamination. Because during forensic examination originals should not be
used only verified duplicates should be used. A good way of ensuring the data to
be uncorrupted is to keep a Chain of Custody which is a detailed list of what was
done with the original copies once they were collected. The chain of custody
follows step by step procedure in which officials are categorized in different
categories.
Digital evidence is consider as all the digital or electronic sources which can be
gather during investigation and contains any type of information in it which may
be used as evidence in that particular case. Meanwhile, it is a part of computer
forensics where some special techniques have been use for preserving,
identification, analysis, examination, authentication, interpretation and
documentation of digital information. Computer forensics is a mandatory process
in the field of investigation where digital evidence should be gathered and
216
processed in the court of law. However, the preservation of digital evidence must
be fall under some categories, as it depends on the type and place of crime. Like if
crime happens in any business organization/firm then some other steps have been
followed by investigation team for preserving of digital evidence, while if it
happens in any other destination then different steps should be following. Else in
the process of preservation of digital evidences different types of risks may occur
and to combating them an investigation team should be prepared with mitigation
practices. Let us discuss the following categories with preservation steps:
1. Stand-alone home computer
 Don‖t try an attempt to use computer.
 Photograph it from front and back side.
 Unplug all power cords.
 Seize additional storage media.
 Collect instruction manuals, documents and notes.
 Prepare the documentation of all steps involved in the seizure of a computer.
2. Home Networked system
 Unplug power to router or modem.
 Rest of the procedure is same as above.
3. Business Network
 A computer specialist should be consulted in case of preserving business
servers.
 A team has to secure the scene and prevent handling of any networking
devices except professional.
 Because in these matters in anyone pull out the plug then it may cause
damage to the system or loss of data.
4. Storage Media
 Used to store data from electronic devices.
 Keep away from magnets, radio transmitters and other potentially damaging
devices.
5. Personal Digital Assistances
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 If the device is ―on‖, leave it on because if it is powered down then the device
could enable password.
 Keep device charged.
 Seize additional storage media.
218
Fig. Seizure Form
Fig. Evidence collection and chain of custody form
Fig. Sticker of Evidence
219
14.3 Legal Scenario
Information and communication systems are becoming popular platform in the
grounds for collecting electronic-evidence in processes like investigations, audits,
or litigation. Since, court can also proceed with e-evidence or ask for such
evidences by the investigating authority that can perform these tasks. Such
authorities acquire all e-records includes telephone logs, e-mail and instant
messaging which are to be preserved carefully. Since, the content and preservation
of e-records will be a subject which causes different problems in litigation and
investigation exercises under some new legislation which has been opted by
government of different countries for preserving digital evidences or e-records. In
any investigation process of digital evidence consent of legal advisor must be
necessary who guide the officials with rules and regulations. This may be done
because there are many agencies who indicate themselves that they have power or
legal authority for gathering of digital evidence. While, some of them use their
powers, acquire search warrant or court order for seizing evidence because in many
countries there is not a single explicit legal provision in their national law.
US opt various acts and rules for preservation of e-records such as Sarbanes-Oxley
Act (SOX) which was signed in 2002 where data retention and preservation issues
were arises, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (1970) which deals with all types of
conducts and activities, another is Federal Rules of Discovery which has been
assign the duty for preserving the documents. However, if we concentrate in Indian
scenario then we came to know that there are very few rules or regulations
followed by Indian government in preserving digital or electronic evidences i.e.
Information Technology Act, 2000 and Indian Penal Code (1860). Where not a
single section deals with preservation of digital evidences but co-relates with some
provisions of these acts. Although, nowadays many countries are going to opt or
follow international standard of ISO/IEC 27037 which deals with information
technology- security techniques- guidelines for identification, collection,
acquisition, and preservation of digital evidence.
14.4 Flaws in Current Scenario
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The investigation and preservation of digital evidence is much vast in itself.
Although, government has been facing different problems in solving the case
related to cyber world. This happens because officials didn‖t consist of least
knowledge about technologies which are eroded day by day and replacing the old
one. In current setup where cybercrime affect the nation and in this situation
investigation process is facing number of problems from its officials. Because of
lack of technical knowledge, didn‖t aware of forensics process, haven‖t any idea of
rules and regulation and many other.
However, cyber cells are developing in each state or city for combating these
cybercrimes but still the officials consists lack of knowledge. This is because the
government didn‖t provide a chance to youngster‖s who have that much of skills
and are qualified professionals, as they promote their staff on the basis of
deputation like the constable of a police station now become a typist in cyber cell.
If such things happen then it cause delay in the process of solving cybercrime. To
get rid away from this an official must now about search and seizure process, chain
of custody, management of documentation, and also legalities of searches.
Nowadays cyber experts are increasing day by day who support police officials in
investigation process.
Rehabilitation
14.5 Misuse of cyber forensics and investigation

Computers present new considerations for both substantive criminal law and
criminal procedure. At the heart of many of the questions is the appropriate
balance between privacy rights and necessary criminal investigation. It is
particularly problematic with respect to computer crimes, since serious national
security issues can arise when computers are misused.
14.6 Summary
Preservation of digital evidence is a work which needs lots of effort drawn from
the side of every official who are involve in investigation practice, as because the
laws behind these process is much wider and complex. Since, officials didn‖t
contain perfect knowledge of all the process; then in this situation government
221
have to offer a workshop or session for these officials in which cyber experts share
their knowledge and provide with latest tactics and standards for solving a case.
And government should also show their efforts by providing country a proper
regulations or rules for such process through which a confusion factor occurs less.
14.7 References
 Good practice guide for computer-based electronic evidence (.pdf) by ACPO
(English Wales & N Ireland). Retrieved from:
http://www.7safe.com/electronic_evidence/ACPO_guidelines_computer_evidence.
pdf
 Managing containers, content and context in digital preservation: towards a
2020 vision (.pdf) by Simon Tanner; King‖s College London (UK). Retrieved
from:
http://www.kdcs.kcl.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/pubs/Simon_Tanner_IST_2006pa
per.pdf
 Accountability for archival digital curation in preserving the memory of the
world (.pdf) by Wayne W. Liu, Dept. of Computer Science, Florida State
University. Retrieved from:
http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/mow/VC_Li
u_26_D_1540.pdf
 Defining Digital Forensic examination and analysis tools using abstraction
layers (.pdf) by Brian Carrier, Research Scientist (International Journal of Digital
Evidence, Winter 2003, Vol.1, Issue 4) Retrieved from:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.14.9813&rep=rep1&typ
e=pdf
 British Library Digital Preservation Strategy (.pdf) Retrieved from:
http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/collectioncare/discovermore/digitalpreserva
tion/strategy/DigitalPreservationStrategy2007-08.pdf
 Electronic Evidence And Computer Forensics (.pdf) by Linda Volonino,
Information Systems and Telecommunications, Canisius College (Communications
of the Association for Information Systems, vol. 12, Article 27, Oct. 2003).
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Retrieved from:
http://faculty.usfsp.edu/gkearns/Articles_Fraud/Fraud_Deterrence.pdf
 Searching and Seizing Computers and obtaining electronic evidence in
criminal investigations (.pdf) by H. Marshall Jarrett (Director, EOUSA) and
Michael W. Bailie (Director, OLE), OLE Litigation Series, Computer Crime and
Intellectual Property Section Criminal Division, Published by Office of Legal
Education Executive Office for United States Attorneys. Retrieved from:
http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/docs/ssmanual2009.pdf
 Digital Evidence: Representation and Assurance (.pdf) by Bradley Schatz,
Bachelor of Science, UQ, Australia, 1995, published by Queensland University of
Technology, Oct. 2007. Retrieved from:
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16507/1/Bradley_Schatz_Thesis.pdf
 Issues in Computer Forensics (.pdf) by Sonia Bui, Michelle Enyeart,
Jenghuei Luong, COEN 150, Dr. Holliday, May 22, 2003. Retrieved from:
http://www.cse.scu.edu/~jholliday/COEN150sp03/projects/Forensic%20Investigati
on.pdf
 Computer Forensics- We‖ve had an incident, who do we get to investigate?
(.pdf) by Karen Ryder, GSEC Certification Assignment Version 1.3, published at
SANS. Retrieved from: https://www.sans.org/reading-
room/whitepapers/incident/computer-forensics-weve-incident-investigate-652
 Anti-Cartel Enforcement Manual (.pdf), Published in International
Competition Network (March 2010). Retrieved from:
http://www.internationalcompetitionnetwork.org/uploads/library/doc627.pdf
 International Standard, ISO/IEC 27037 (.pdf), First Edition 2012-10-15
 Chapter-5 & 6, Pg. No. 121-161, Computer Forensics: Computer Crime
Scene Investigation by John R. Vacca (ISBN 1-58450-018-2), Charles River
Media, Inc., Hingham, Massachusetts.

1. Evidence should be _________.
2. The evidence which is presented in front of jury should be ____________
and _________.
223
3. The major step followed for controlling the contamination of evidences is the
___________.
4. ________________ is a mandatory process in the field of investigation.
5. A _________________ should be consulted in case of preserving business
servers.
1. Authentic
2. Understandable and believable
3. Chain of custody
4. Computer forensics
5. Computer specialist
1. Discuss the steps of preserving digital evidence.
2. Describe the methods of collecting digital evidence.
3. How digital evidence is processed in court of law?
4. What is the difference between computer forensics and cyber forensics?
5. What all are the flaws of computer forensics in current scenario? Discuss.
224
Unit-15
Issues Related to Privacy and Human Rights
Objectives:
 What are Human Rights related with Cyber Space?
 What is the Constitutional Mandate for it?
 How are Information Technology and the law of privacy related?
 How misuse of privacy and human rights.
Structure
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Protection in cyberspace
15.3 Human Rights in Cyber Space
15.4 Adopting cyber security strategies that violate human rights
15.5 Constitutional mandates
15.6 Information Technology and the Law of Privacy
15.7 Statutory perspective
Rehabilitation
15.8 Misuse of privacy and human rights
15.9 Summary
15.10 References
15.1 Introduction
Public Privacy is about fundamental flexibility and privacy rights grounded in
global human rights law. Cyberspace is a borderless public space in which
nationals, paying little respect to their citizenship, nationality, ethnicity, political
introduction, sexual orientation or overall foundation convey and associate.
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Through new innovations, Cyberspace offers an environment that comprises of
numerous members with the capacity to influence and impact one another. This
space is transparent and nonpartisan in its tendency however frequently
characterized, expanded, restricted and blue-penciled by individuals who make
utilization of it. Correspondence through the internet is consequently regularly
unknown but utilized and imparted to an overall wide public, which stays, to the
expansive part; generally obscure for the individual internet client, to be specific
us. All things considered, we do impart some of our most private and individual
data with this unknown crowd. This overall public records today around 2.5 billion
internet users.116 In the event that cyberspace were a nation, it would be the biggest
and most populated nation on the planet, yet without any government,
administrative bodies, law implementation, insurance instrument, or tenets for
investment, not to mention anything that verges on a 'digital constitution' for all
internet-nationals.
By imparting private information, billions of internet users have effectively made
virtual twins in this new space, while never having an opportunity to erase
information. Personal connections and 'being friends' through social networks, for
example, Renren and Facebook can be nameless on the one side, but give an
endless measure of personal information and private messages. People's private
and additionally expert lives are publically moving in cyberspace. Organizations
and endeavors, instruction and preparing, accounts and money matters, private
correspondence, and even wellbeing and personal issues are presently by offering
private information, billions of internet users have officially made virtual twins in
this new space, while never having an opportunity to erase information. Personal
connections and 'being friends' through social networks, for example, Renren and
Facebook can be nameless on the one side, but give a limitless measure of personal
information and private messages. People's private and in addition expert lives are
publically moving in cyberspace. Organizations and undertakings, training and
preparing, funds and mass trading, private correspondence, and even wellbeing and
personal issues are presently managed by any individual who looks for access to it
in this "unending" space.117
116
Public Privacy Human Rights in Cyber Space by Anja Mihr; retrieved from
http://www.anjamihr.com/resources/Public+Privacy-WP-AnjaMihr$5B1$5D.pdf
117
226
The vehicle by which information moves in this space is the internet and it
precedes onward the interstate called World Wide Web. However apparently to
national space and domain that we call a nation or an express, the way people and
on-screen characters act and settle on choices in this space is guided through
principles and standards generally recorded in constitutions or laws.
On account of Cyberspace, these citizens are internet users all as far and wide as
possible. Albeit international governmental associations (IGOs), for example, the
UN, the Organization for American States, the African Union or the European
Union, plan to set international principles for the utilization of cyberspace and
internet to be regarded and authorized by national governments, they for the most
part neglect to do so. The purpose behind this is that states' powers and
requirement systems frequently end at state borders on the grounds that their order
to ensure human rights is completely focused around state sovereignty and
governments. IGOs and international courts regularly likewise have just
constrained measures and intends to ensure human rights, not to mention
implement them.
Since cyberspace has no physical or national borders, the methods and approaches
to represent this new borderless administration are not yet characterized. In any
case, in the level headed discussion and exertion to set up a cyberspace legislation
administration, human rights standards and principles, (for example, the human
rights to protection, security, wellbeing, free declaration, development and venture)
offer direction to the different number of diverse performers that are included in
the outline of the cyberspace administration and how to conceivably control it. If at
any time built, the cyberspace administering body will be one of different
stakeholders and on-screen characters including national, international and
additionally private performing artists, for example, agents of organizations, social
networks, NGOs and people.
15.2 Protection in cyberspace118

Privacy as a human right may be a novel concept to some; however, it is actually
enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
118
Digital Privacy: Protecting Human Rights in Cyberspace by Doug Bannerman; retrieved from
http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/digital-privacy-protecting-human-rights-cyberspace
227
Moreover, digital privacy is emerging as an important human right particularly
because it may be subjugated so easily. The Global Network Initiative states
‗Privacy is a human right and guarantor of human dignity’. important to
maintaining personal security, protecting identity and promoting freedom of
expression in the digital age.‘ Unfortunately, legislative priorities largely appear to
exclude digital privacy. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, ‗’ the
law has yet to catch up to our evolving expectations of and need for privacy.‘ We
see this in the U.S. where legislators have yet to update the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act of 1986. At the same time, some question the
motives of government action (or inaction) and express concern over what they
perceive as an overstepping of authority, particularly regarding the collection,
retention and analysis of personal data. In Germany, for instance, the Supreme
Courtruled that country‖s data retention law unconstitutional last year.
While the future state of regulation regarding digital privacy may be uncertain,
many global companies are seeking to assure alignment between their human
rights policies and practices and the United Nations Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights: the “Protect, Respect and Remedy”
Framework launched formally in April 2011. While the framework recognizes the
State obligation to protect human rights, it also recognizes a ‗corporate
responsibility to respect human rights, act with due diligence, and address adverse
impacts.‘ Leadership companies, such as those in high tech, have been notably
proactive in their efforts to address human rights. This is particularly true of
Symantec who is intimately familiar with the intersection of digital privacy and
security through its core business:
“The protection of individual privacy afforded by our products is critical to the
protection of human rights. Indeed, many of our products, including encryption,
endpoint protection, online backup, and antivirus software support the first three
UNGC principles by enabling individuals to protect the secrecy of their
communications and work products, to store their information with a trusted
vendor, and to monitor and track attempts of intrusion into their information from
other individuals and/or governments.“
228
15.3 Human Rights in Cyber Space119
To mention but a few fundamental freedoms and privacy human rights that are
dealt with in this context are, for example, free expression of belief, political
opinion, art and written texts; the free and equal access to information; and the
protection of privacy issues such as family relations, friendships or health issues.
Furthermore, human rights in cyberspace is about the protection and security to be
free from harassment and persecution on internet for a based on one‖s own
political, ethical or gender identity as well for hers or his private professional,
educational or health data without his or her consent. It is about protecting one‖s
own intellectual property and creativity, i.e. art, movies, pictures, literature,
scientific results, as well as having access at any time to fair and open trials – to
name but a few.
The often proclaimed ‗Right to Internet‘ which aims to allow individuals have
access to internet at any time and the ‗Right to be Forgotten‘ which assures that
one‖s own private data remains private and can be deleted at any time, are already
part of the overall human rights standards concerning access to information, the
right to privacy and data protection (as in the EU Fundamental Rights Charta) and
participation. Yet, how to realize these rights and turn them into active legislation
has to be seen. Case law will most likely take quite some time to establish
interpretations of these rights, although the Research Division of the European
Court of Human Rights has already in 2011 published a groundbreaking
documents on the potential the Case-law concerning data protection and retention
issues relevant for the internet could mean in future decisions taken by the court. In
this document the freedom of expression, intellectual property and issues of
cybercrime are seen the major deficits that yet have to be further defined and
interpreted through case law.
It is therefore no longer an issue of international debates whether freedom rights
exist or not, but rather how to implement and enforce them into national
legislation. During the conference, all UN member states confirmed that all human
rights derive from the dignity and worth inherent in the human person, and that the
human person is the central subject of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
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229
and consequently should be the principal beneficiary and should participate
actively in the realization of these rights and freedoms.
15.4 Adopting cyber security strategies that violate human

rights120
The use of loaded, imprecise language has, indeed, had far-reaching consequences,
as many governments are using vague internal and external threats as arguments to
justify ever greater investments in cyber arms and mass surveillance schemes, and
ever greater governmental control of the Internet and their citizens. The sense of
alarm embedded in cyber security narratives has clouded the need to objectively
and evidentially substantiate the likelihood and nature of the dangers at hand.
It has also given rise to the impression that all responses are appropriate and
legitimate. For example, as we pointed out earlier, in many countries, both
democratic and nondemocratic, the threats posed to national security have long
been used to justify extensive surveillance mechanisms, with more and more
citizen data collected and easily accessed by state authorities. Other ominous
‗security‘ measures include developing so-called ‗Internet kill switches‘ (the
notion of shutting down the Internet in order to protect it), restricting the use of
encryption, implementing filtering and blocking mechanisms and introducing real
name policies. Such measures often pose threats to civil liberties, yet they tend to
lack judicial oversight as well as public data on which to judge their effectiveness
(often because of claims that disclosure would impact on security efforts). While it
is not at all clear that they improve security, they frequently risk erasing the
benefits the Internet brings.
15.5 Constitutional mandates121

There is an inherent and natural conflict between right to privacy on the one hand
and the right to information and right to know on the other. A law pertaining to
data protection should primarily reconcile these conflicting interests. Thus, the data
of individuals and organisations should be protected in such manner that their
120
Cyber Security, Cyber Surveillance and Online Human Rights by Anja Kovacs et.al.; retrieved from http://www.gp-
digital.org/wp-content/uploads/pubs/Cyber-Security-Cyber-Surveillance-and-Online-Human-Rights-Kovacs-Hawtin.pdf
121
Data Protection Law in India: A Constitutional Perspective by Praveen Dalal; retrieved from
http://ipmall.info/hosted_resources/gin/PDalal_DATA-PROTECTION-LAW-IN-INDIA.pdf
230
privacy rights are not compromised. At the same time the right to information U/A
19(1)(a) and the right to know U/A 21A law relating to data protection should be in
conformity with the following mandates, as imposed by the sacred and inviolable
Constitution of India:
Right to privacy U/A 21: The law of privacy is the recognition of the individual‖s
right to be let alone and to have his personal space inviolate. The term ―privacy‖
denotes the rightful claim of the individual to determine the extent to which he
wishes to share of himself with others and his control over the time, place and
circumstances to communicate with others. It means his right to withdraw or to
participate as he thinks fit.
It also means the individual‖s right to control dissemination of information about
him as it is his own personal possession. Privacy primarily concerns the individual.
It, therefore, relates to and overlaps with the concept of liberty. The most serious
advocates of privacy must confess that there are serious problems of defining the
essence and scope of the right. Privacy interest in autonomy must also be placed in
the context of other rights and values. The right to privacy as an independent and
distinctive concept originated in the field of Tort law, under which a new cause of
action for damages resulting from unlawful invasion of privacy was recognized.
This right has two aspects which are but two faces of the same coin: (1) the general
law of privacy which affords a tort action for damages resulting from an unlawful
invasion of privacy, and (2) the constitutional recognition given to the right to
privacy which protects personal privacy against unlawful governmental invasion.
The first aspect of this right must be said to have been violated where, for example,
a person‖s name or likeness is used, without his consent for advertising or non-
advertising purposes or for that matter, his life story is written whether laudatory or
otherwise and published without his consent. In recent times, however, this right
has acquired a constitutional status. India is a signatory to the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966. Article17 thereof provides for the
―right of privacy‖. Article12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 is
almost in similar terms. Article 17 of the International Covenant does not go
contrary to any part of our municipal law. Article21 of the Constitution has,
therefore, to be interpreted in conformity with the international law.
231
15.6 Information Technology and the Law of Privacy122
Advances in computer technology and telecommunications have dramatically
increased the amount of information that can be stored, retrieved, accessed and
collectedalmost instantaneously. In the Internet age, information is so centralized
and so easily accessible that one tap on a button could throw up startling amounts
of information about an individual. In terms of electronic information, a person
should be able to keep personal affairs to himself. Advances in computer
technology are making it easy to do what was impossible not long ago. Information
in many databases can be cross-matched to create profiles of individuals and to
even predict their behavior. This behavior is determined by individual‖s
transactions with various educational, financial, governmental, professional and
judicial institutions. Major uses of this information include direct marketing and
credit check services for potential borrowers or renters. To the individual, the
result of all this information sharing is most commonly seen as increased ―junk
mail‖.
There are much more serious privacy issues to be considered. For instance:
i. Every time you log onto the internet you leave behind an electronic trail.
Web sites and advertising companies are able to track users as they travel on the
Internet to assess their personal preferences, habits and lifestyles. This information
is used for direct marketing campaigns that target the individual customer. Every
time you use your credit card, you leave behind a trail of where you shopped and
when, what you bought, your brand preferences, your favorite restaurant.
ii. Employee‖s privacy is under siege as employers routinely use software to
access their employee‖s e-mail and every move of the employee.
Field sales representatives have their movements tracked by the use of location-
based tracking systems in new wireless phones.
Thus, the law of privacy has not kept pace with the technological development. It
must be noted that the right to freedom of speech and expression and right to
privacy are two sides of the same coin. One person‖s right to know and be
informed may violate another‖s right to be let alone. These rights must be
harmoniously construed so that they are properly promoted with the minimum of
122
232
such implied and necessary restrictions. The law of privacy endeavors to balance
these competing freedoms.
Freedom of information U/A 19(1) (a): The right to impart and receive information
is a species of the right to freedom of speech and expression. A citizen has a
Fundamental Right to use the best means of imparting and receiving information.
The State is not only under an obligation to respect the Fundamental Rights of the
citizens, but also equally under an obligation to ensure conditions under which the
Right can be meaningfully and effectively be enjoyed by one and all. Freedom of
speech and expression is basic to and indivisible from a democratic polity. The
world has moved towards universalization of right to freedom of expression. In this
context reference may be made to Article 10 of the European Convention on
Human Rights. Article 10 of the Convention provides that everyone has a right to
freedom of expression and this right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to
receive information and ideas without interference by the public authorities and
regardless of the frontiers.
Again, Article 19(1) and 19(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights declares that everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without
interference, and everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression, and this
right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information of ideas of all
kinds regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art
or through any other media of his choice. Similarly, Article 19 of Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 provides that everyone has the right to
freedom of opinion and expression and this right includes freedom to hold opinion
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through
any media and regardless of frontiers. In the Indian context, Article 19(1) (a) of the
constitution guarantees to all citizens‖ freedom of speech and expression. At the
same time, Article 19(2) permits the State to make any law in so far as such law
imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the rights conferred by Article
19(1) (a) of the constitution in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, the
security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency,
morality, contempt of court, defamation and incitement of offence. Thus, a citizen
has a right to receive information and that right is derived from the concept of
freedom of speech and expression comprised in Article 19(1) (a). It must, however,
be noted that freedoms under Article 19, including
233
Article 19(1) (a), are available only to citizens of India. An alien or foreigner has
no rights under this Article because he is not a citizen of India. Thus to confer
protection upon non-citizens one has to depend upon and apply Article 21 which is
available to all persons, whether citizen or non-citizen.
Right to know under Article 21: Article 21 enshrines right to life and personal
liberty. The expressions ‗right to life and personal liberty‘ are compendious terms,
which include within themselves variety of rights and attributes. Some of them are
also found in Article 19 and thus have two sources at the same time.
In R.P. Limited v Indian Express Newspapers the Supreme Court read into Article
21 the right to know. The Supreme Court held that right to know is a necessary
ingredient of participatory democracy. In view of transnational developments when
distances are shrinking, international communities are coming together for
cooperation in various spheres and they are moving towards global perspective in
various fields including Human Rights, the expression ‗liberty‘ must receive an
expanded meaning. The expression cannot be limited to mere absence of bodily
restraint. It is wide enough to expand to full range of rights including right to hold
a particular opinion and right to sustain and nurture that opinion. For sustaining
and nurturing that opinion it becomes necessary to receive information. Article 21
confers on all persons a right to know which include a right to receive information.
The ambit and scope of Article 21 is much wider as compared to Article 19(1) (a).
Thus, the courts are required to expand its scope by way of judicial activism. In
P.U.C.L v U.O.I the Supreme Court observed that Fundamental Rights themselves
have no fixed contents, most of them are empty vessels into which each generation
must pour its contents in the light of its experience. The attempt of the court should
be to expand the reach and ambit of the Fundamental Rights by process of judicial
interpretation. There cannot be any distinction between the Fundamental Rights
mentioned in Chapter-III of the constitution and the declaration of such rights on
the basis of the judgments‖ rendered by the Supreme Court. Further, it is well
settled that while interpreting the constitutional provisions dealing with
Fundamental Rights the courts must not forget the principles embodied in the
international conventions and instruments and as far as possible the courts must
give effect to the principles contained in those instruments. The courts are under an
obligation to give due regard to the international conventions and norms while
234
construing the domestic laws, more so when there is no inconsistency or conflict
between them and the domestic law.
15.7 Statutory perspective123

The inherent and natural conflict between right to know and right to privacy is also
permeating various statutory laws enacted from time to time. These laws, with
their conflicting contours, are:
Right to information in cases of venereal or infectious diseases: The welfare of the
society is the primary duty of every civilized State. Sections 269 to 271 of the
Indian Penal Code, 1860 make an act, which is likely to spread infection,
punishable by considering it as an offence. These sections are framed in order to
prevent people from doing acts, which are likely to spread infectious diseases.
Thus a person suffering from an infectious disease is under an obligation to
disclose the same to the other person and if he fails to do so he will be liable to be
prosecuted under these sections. As a corollary, the other person has a right to
know about such infectious disease. In Mr. X v Hospital Z the Supreme Court held
that it was open to the hospital authorities or the doctor concerned to reveal such
information to the persons related to the girl whom he intended to marry and she
had a right to know about the HIV Positive status of the appellant. A question may,
however, be raised that if the person suffering from HIV Positive marries with a
willing partner after disclosing the factum of disease to that partner, will he still
commit an offence within the meaning of Section 269 and 270 of I.P.C. It is
submitted that there should be no bar for such a marriage if the healthy spouse
consents to marry despite of being aware of the fact that the other spouse is
suffering from the said disease.
The courts should not interfere with the choice of two consenting adults who are
willing to marry each other with full knowledge about the disease. It must be noted
that in Mr. X v Hospital Z (II) a three judge bench of the Supreme Court held that
once the division bench of the Supreme Court held that the disclosure of HIV
Positive status was justified as the girl has a right to know, there was no need for
this court to go further and declare in general as to what rights and obligations arise
123
235
in such context as to right to privacy or whether such persons are entitled to marry
or not or in the event such persons marry they would commit an offence under the
law or whether such right is suspended during the period of illness. Therefore, all
those observations made by the court in the aforesaid matter were unnecessary.
Thus, the court held that the observations made by this court, except to the extent
of holding that the appellant‖s right was not affected in any manner by revealing
his HIV Positive status to the relatives of his fiancée, are uncalled for. It seems that
the court has realized the untenably of the earlier observations and the practical
difficulties, which may arise after the disclosure of HIV status.
Rehabilitation
15.8 Misuse of privacy and human rights
The Information Technology Act, 2000 provides for two measures, in case of
wrongful disclosure and misuse of personal data, i.e. civil consequence of payment
of compensation and criminal consequence of punishment for commission of
offence. Under Section 43A of the IT Act, 2000, a body corporate who is
possessing, dealing or handling any sensitive personal data or information, and is
negligent in implementing and maintaining reasonable security practices resulting
in wrongful loss or wrongful gain to any person, then such body corporate may be
held liable to pay damages to the person so affected.
15.9 Summary
Organizations and endeavors, instruction and preparing, accounts and money
matters, private correspondence, and even wellbeing and personal issues are
presently by offering private information; billions of internet users have officially
made virtual twins in this new space, while never having an opportunity to erase
information. Organizations and undertakings, training and preparing, funds and
mass trading, private correspondence, and even wellbeing and personal issues are
presently managed by any individual who looks for access to it in this "unending"
space.
15.10 References
1. Public Privacy Human Rights in Cyber Space by Anja Mihr; retrieved from,
236
2. Digital Privacy: Protecting Human Rights in Cyberspace by Doug
Bannerman; retrieved from http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/digital-
privacy-protecting-human-rights-cyberspace
3. Cyber Security, Cyber Surveillance and Online Human Rights by Anja
Kovacs et.al.; retrieved from http://www.gp-digital.org/wp-
content/uploads/pubs/Cyber-Security-Cyber-Surveillance-and-Online-Human-
Rights-Kovacs-Hawtin.pdf
4. Data Protection Law in India: A Constitutional Perspective by Praveen Dalal;
retrieved from http://ipmall.info/hosted_resources/gin/PDalal_DATA-
1. Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 is the act of
________________.
2. Article 19(1) (a), are available only to citizens of ________.
3. Freedom of speech and expression is discussed under _______________.
4. ____________ enshrines right to life and personal liberty.
5. ____________ which aims to allow individuals have access to internet at any
time.
1. U.S.
2. India
3. Article 19 (1) (a)
4. Article 21
5. Right to Internet
1. How would you protect your privacy in virtual world?
2. Discuss, how cyber security strategies violates human rights?
3. Explain some constitutional mandates which relates to privacy and human
rights?
4. Explain the difference between privacy and human rights?
5. How IT Act, 2000 involve itself in the law of privacy?
237
Unit-16
Online Disputes Resolutions
Objectives:
 What is Online Dispute Resolution?
 What is the nature of Online Dispute Resolution?
 How it is beneficial in disputes resolutions.
Structure:
16.1 Introduction
16.2 Evolution of ODR Industry
16.3 Resolving Business Disputes
16.4 Why ODR?
16.5 Nature of ODR
16.6 ODR vs litigation
16.7 Benefits
16.8 ODR in India
16.9 ODR in Asia
16.10 Drawbacks
16.11 Future of ODR
16.12 Misuse of ODR
16.13 Summary
16.14 References
16.17 Terminal Question
16.1 Introduction
Online dispute resolution (ODR) is a branch of dispute resolution which uses
technology to facilitate the resolution of disputes between parties.
238
It primarily involves negotiation, mediation or arbitration, or a combination of all
three. In this respect it is often seen as being the online equivalent of alternative
dispute resolution (ADR). However, ODR can also augment these traditional
means of resolving disputes by applying innovative techniques and online
technologies to the process.
ODR is a wide field, which may be applied to a range of disputes; from
interpersonal disputes including consumer to consumer disputes (C2C) or marital
separation; to court disputes and interstate conflicts. It is believed that efficient
mechanisms to resolve online disputes will impact in the development of e-
commerce. While the application of ODR is not limited to disputes arising out of
business to consumer (B2C) online transactions, it seems to be particularly apt for
these disputes, since it is logical to use the same medium (the internet) for the
resolution of e-commerce disputes when parties are frequently located far from one
another.124
ODR is a highly recommended method because it is not as time consuming as
normal litigation, disputes are easily documented and the person need not submit to
the jurisdiction of any court. There are three main models of online dispute
settlement:
1. Cyber settle: wherein there is automated negotiation mechanism
2. Online mediation: wherein there is live mediation
3. Online adjudication: wherein there is online arbitration
According to her, the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and the Information
Act, 2000, are well equipped to cater to the online system of dispute resolution.
The steps that need to be taken are:
1. Create more awareness
2. Draft rules in case of any ambiguity
3. Extend the system by promoting it in all legislations
4. Parties should be made to sign a binding agreement before they enter into
the online dispute resolution system.125
Online dispute resolution is simple, speedy and provides an easy and expeditious
way of resolving problems for parties which are in different parts of the world.
124
Online Dispute Resolution from Wikipedia; retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_dispute_resolution
125
Online Dispute Resolution with case studies by Karnika Seth, Attorney at Law and Pertner, Seth Associates; retrieved from
http://www.ciac.in/Tecnical_Session_3_dec2010.html
239
Delhi High Court has e- courts but they are not as functional as they ought to be.
But once they are utilized properly, it will be possible to have a successful
arbitration system. The Supreme Court has already decided upon this issue and
held that choosing an umpire online is valid. According to Hon‖ble Justice Sen.,
paper filing etc. should have already been done away with since e- filing is the
order of the day.126
16.2 Evolution of ODR Industry127
Online dispute resolution (ODR) was developed to circumvent clogged and slow
moving courts and the hassle of physical dispute resolution mechanisms. ODR
tries to harness the power of internet to resolve disputes, by reducing costs, doing
away with the necessity to travel to attend courts and generally making the entire
process faster and efficient through use of web based technologies. This is the
basic precept on which ODR is built. If possible, this could be a significant
improvement over the current alternative dispute resolution methods such as
traditional arbitration, mediation etc.
ODR debuted in 1998 in United States and not much is known about it in India.
16.3 Resolving Business Disputes128

For business, time is money. Disputes are like cancer which should be stopped
from spreading as soon as possible. The business disputes may be business to
business (B2B) or business to customer (B2C). For both type of disputes, litigation
is the least favored method of resolution for a variety of reasons – delay being the
foremost. ADR methods provide the solution. Methods like negotiation, mediation,
conciliation, arbitration and a mix of these have been used and are currently
becoming popular for resolution of business disputes. However, the limitation of
these methods, particularly, physical presence of both the parties and the
arbitrator/conciliator/mediator at one place at a number of meetings, makes even
ADR methods quite cumbersome and ineffective
126
Online Dispute Resolution with case studies by Mr. Justice Vikramajit Sen, Delhi High Court; retrieved from
127
Online Dispute Resolution System- A way toward hassle free dispute resolution by Srishti, Pleaders: Intelligent Legal
Solutions; retrieved from http://blog.ipleaders.in/odr/
128
Is India Ready for Online Dispute Resolution? By Anurag K. Agrawal, IIM Ahmedabad; retrieved from
http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/publications/data/2006-10-03_aagarwal.pdf
240
There are three current approaches to ODR: cyberspace, non-adjudicative ADR,
and arbitration. The first centres on the Internet and information technology. The
principle underlying the cyberspace approach is to find better, faster and cheaper
ways to resolve disputes with the aid of technology. The non-adjudicative ADR
approach to ODR focuses mainly on negotiation and mediation, and how to
improve both communications and relationships between parties. The arbitration
approach emphasizes rights and applications of law to resolve the dispute with an
arbitrator‖s decision. The impetus behind this approach is the success of traditional
arbitration. If it works so well offline, then it should be adapted online, the
reasoning goes.
The major players in ODR are: business community, consumers, and government
and ADR institutions. Business community favors ODR because it is private, fast
and inexpensive. It also encourages consumer trust. For consumer organisations,
ODR enforces consumer rights. Governments see ODR as a tool to provide access
to justice that courts are not yet equipped to provide, decrease court congestion and
further the e-commerce economy. ADR institutions see ODR as an opportunity to
gain the competitive edge. The application of information communication
technology (ICT) is evolving as an important means for future resolution of certain
types of conflict. ODR will become an increasingly important component of the
infrastructure required if online business and other relationships are to realize their
full potential.
Globally, the use of ODR is growing and has been well documented over the years
and consumer disputes are seen as the main area of growth, together with human
resources, government and employment disputes also a fertile ground for this type
of technology.
16.4 Why ODR?129

Cost and Time
ODR is generally considered a more efficient process than ADR/ litigation because
it is quicker and less expensive. Given the fact it does not require physical presence
129
Online Dispute Resolution System- A way toward hassle free dispute resolution by Srishti, IPleaders: Intelligent Legal
241
as is the case with ADR and litigation, it saves up on time and cost as may be
required.
Modus Operandi
The mode of proceedings in ODR is often decided by the parties unlike court based
suits that follow a strict statute determined procedure. Of course, ODR must follow
the rules laid down by appropriate legislations and some basic principles that all
legal proceedings should follow, but it has the potential to emerge as a more
flexible and convenient mode of dispute resolution. Also, ODR is typically less
confrontational because it takes place in a much less formal setting on an online
platform.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality of matter can be protected far better in an ODR process.
Flexibility
ODR is much more flexible as it is governed by party‖s agreement or the rules and
regulations of the online platform used and is not dependent on the stare decisis
(deciding on the basis of precedents) principle just like any other ADR.
16.5 Nature of ODR

Online and Offline Model of ODR
The potential use of the Internet to resolve international disputes can be divided
into two distinct areas: using Internet-related technology to resolve ‗real world‘
disputes online or partially online and using the Internet to resolve disputes arising
on the Internet itself.
For instance, in offline dispute, you can have a clause in your contract with your
supplier for resolution of dispute using one of the ODR platforms. As far as online
disputes are concerned, the platform you are dealing with might have an inbuilt
mechanism as is the case with EBay
Procedures adopted for ODR
Online Negotiation
Forums such as Cyber Settle use negotiation for Dispute Resolution. Online
negotiation can be of two types, closed model and open model.
Close Model-
242
Online negotiation thrives on technological changes through blind bidding which is
one of the most prevalent dispute resolution services available online. The
common characteristic of these processes is the parties‖ submission of monetary
offers and demands which are not disclosed to their negotiating counterpart, but are
compared by computer in rounds. If the offer and demand match, fall within a
defined range or overlap the case is settled for the average of the offer and demand,
the matching amount, or the demand in the event of an overlap. If the claim is
settled, the participants are immediately notified via email
Open Model
Under the open model, a party can view the other‖s party offer or demand only
after having made a demand or offer. Whenever any offer is within twenty per cent
of any demand, there is settlement of the median.
Online Mediation
A typical online mediation procedure takes place as follows. The complainant
initiates it by completing a confidential form on the provider‖s website. Then, a
mediator contacts the respondent in order for him/her to participate. Both parties
set forth the mediation ground rules.
The mediator communicates with the parties, sometimes jointly and sometimes
individually, to facilitate an agreement. If an agreement is reached, it usually takes
the form of writing.
Thus, the online process does not differ very much from the offline process, except
for the expanded use of technology. Email is the mediator‖s best friend for
purposes of framing and moving discussion forward. But email was already used
by offline mediators. In online mediation, websites such
as Smart Settle, Legal Face Off etc. are providing online mediators with new tools
to supplement email with other communication tools including electronic
conferencing, online chat, video-conferencing, facsimile and telephone.
Online arbitration
Online arbitration proceeds along different communication stages (process
agreement, initial presentations, rebuttals, consideration, and decision). Arbitration
is in general a much less complicated communication process than mediation. In
the simplest arbitration, software that allows positions to be stated and documents
to be shared may provide a sufficient frame for the process.
243
There are many arbitration service provider in abroad such as American
Arbitration Association. AAA is known for handling large, complex cases. In
2011, 46% of the arbitration filed with the AAA involved claims $1,000,000 or
more.
16.6 ODR vs litigation130

In ODR, cost and time efficiency are typical characteristics as opposed to a judicial
process with consumes substantial time and cost for adjudication of disputes. Tyler
and Bretherton aptly stated-
‗The difficulty of utilizing traditional dispute resolution methods in low value
cross border disputes has led to interest in low cost cases, cross jurisdictional
dispute resolution methods‘.
ODR denotes greater flexibility as it can be initiated at any point of a judicial
proceeding or even before a judicial proceeding begins. ODR can also be
terminated if the parties mutually decide that it is not leading to a workable
solution. The parties have the autonomy to decide the mode and procedure for
online dispute resolution in case disputes arise from a particular e- contract. Even
in the absence of a written contract declaring ODR as method of dispute resolution,
the parties may adopt ODR methods to resolve their disputes when such disputes
arise. Contrary to litigation, the parties are free to choose their governing law of
contract, the procedure to resolve disputes, decide on an ODR service provider and
provide for other incidental matters. Use of ODR also allows selection of neutral
third party from an experienced panel of mediator/arbitrators which means greater
impartiality and parties may present their case on their own without apprehension
that their private disputes will flow into the public domain through judicial
precedents. The disputes and the negotiations that ensue between parties remains
confidential at all times. In B2C transactions, ODR encourages customer loyalty;
in C2C transactions it minimizes acrimony and risk of fraudulent transactions
between concerned parties.
16.7 Benefits131
130
Online Dispute Resolution by Karnika Seth, Cyber law Expert & Managing Partner, Seth Associates; retrieved from
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Economically viable: Cost is one of the most crucial factors in dispute
resolution, as disputants like to reach an optimal decision at the lowest possible
price. ODR best suits the financial demands of all parties to a dispute, as most of
the document are exchanged via e-mail and the proceedings take place online as
opposed to exchange of documents by post.
The costs related to travel and accommodation, venue for conducting the
proceedings is also eliminated. Therefore, carrying out ODR is not only easier and
faster, but it is also significantly cheaper
Speedy resolution: One of the main advantages of ODR over conventional
ADR is that it is less-time consuming. Where, in ADR it may take several months
to resolve a dispute, ODR promises settlement of disputes within a few weeks.
Further, the borderless nature of the internet diminishes the communication
problems faced by parties and their counsels who may be located in different time
zones. Moreover, the internet enables parties to easily obtain data and other
information about their cases in real time. In addition to easy accessibility, e-mail
simplifies the task of scheduling ODR proceedings and avoids any phone or fax-
tags in the process. The internet is also a superior and swifter form of
communication, as it facilitates the sending and storing of documents of multiple
parties simultaneously, thus saving both time and money.
Non-confrontational mechanism: By removing the physical presence of the
adversary, ODR enables the adjudicating body to dispassionately resolve the
dispute, purely on basis of the merits of the case. Further, since most of the
arguments or dialogues take place asynchronously over the internet, it allows the
disputants to reflect on their positions before articulating their response.
Additionally, such a mechanism neutralizes any economic or other power
disparities that may obtain between the disputants, as there may be several
instances where one party to the dispute is a small-time manufacturer/supplier and
the opposite party is global entity.
Neutral forum: The internet offers a neutral forum for adjudication and the
‗home advantage‘ one of the parties hitherto enjoyed.
Facilitates record keeping: ODR facilitates the process of maintaining the
record of the correspondences, pleadings, statements, and other written, oral or
131
Online Dispute Resolution: A Step in the Right Direction(.pdf) by PSA, Issue V, January 2010; retrieved from
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245
visual communications, by relying solely on digital records. This in-turn saves time
and money of the parties.
16.8 ODR in India132

Online dispute resolution (ODR) in India is in its infancy stage and it is gaining
prominence day by day. With the enactment of Information Technology Act,
2000 in India, e-commerce and e-governance have been given a formal and legal
recognition in India. Even the traditional arbitration law of India has been
reformulated and now India has Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 in place
that is satisfying the harmonized standards of UNCITRAL Model. The amendment
made in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 by introducing section 89 was made to
provide methods of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in India.
ODR in India is facing many legal roadblocks and the same need to be
addressed immediately by Indian government. Further, awareness about ODR in
India is also missing as per ODR service providers in India.
16.9 ODR in Asia133

Asia is a rich and major continent that has excelled in the utilization of ICTs.
Whilst many Asian States merit a mention, this chapter shall focus on China, Japan
and India as major ODR players in the Asian continent.
The choice of such three states is not only due to their international standing
and weight, but also due to the progressive and accelerated development in the
invention and implementation of ICT applications, which certainly impacts the
development of ODR schemes.
On such account, the chapter shall be divided into three parts; each part shall be
devoted to assess the status quo of ODR in one of the three distinguished states,
which have three of the highest Internet and mobile phone usage rates in the world.
For example, China has emerged as one of the largest e-commerce giants
with more than 457 million Internet users and 277 million mobile phone Internet
132
Online Dispute Resolution from Wikipedia; retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_dispute_resolution
133
Online Dispute Resolution in Asia by Zhao Yun, et. al.; retrieved from
http://www.mediate.com/articles/ODRTheoryandPractice22.cfm
246
users. In Japan, a White Paper entitled ‗Basic IT Strategy‘, released in August
2000 by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), has revealed
Japan‖s ambition to expand its IT infrastructure in support of not only the
development of e-commerce, but the eventual implementation of e-Government
initiatives.
16.10 Drawbacks134
The following drawbacks prevail in the ODR process which hampers its
growth as an efficient mechanism for resolving disputes:
Lack of human interaction and miscommunication: The lack of face-to-face
interaction deprives the adjudicating authority of the opportunity to evaluate the
credibility of parties and the witnesses. Moreover, the impersonal nature of the
internet can potentially cause miscommunication between the parties, which is
likely to occur when parties are located in different countries and speak different
languages.
Limited range of disputes: Like ADR, ODR is also best suited to resolve only
certain types of disputes, like, e-commerce and domain name disputes. The ODR
mechanism may not be suitable for resolving every kind of online dispute, for
example, negotiation and mediation may be more suitable in resolving issues such
as the damages that may be payable for breach of contract.
Inadequate confidentiality and secrecy of proceedings: The secrecy of
proceedings is fundamental to the process of dispute resolution, which ODRs
inherits from ADRs. Accordingly, ODR providers have made technological
arrangements, such as, installation of various software‖s, firewalls, etc., to protect
the data sent by the parties from data interception, alteration, etc. Though
substantial efforts have been made towards creation and implementation of data
protection laws, these measures do not ensure 100% protection from hackers and
other cyber offenders and require constant updating, despite which there may still
exist loop-holes which can be exploited. Thus, inadequate internet security may act
as a major deterrent in the growth of ODR
134
Online Dispute Resolution: A Step in the Right Direction(.pdf) by PSA, Issue V, January 2010; retrieved from
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247
Inadequate authenticity: Closely related to the issue of security is the issue of
authentic identification of the user. In an ADR process, one party can be certain
that the other party it is dealing with is the party actually involved in the dispute.
However, in cyberspace, it is not easy to verify the authenticity of messages
received and it is relatively easy for a third party to impersonate or misrepresent
one of the parties in the dispute, causing confusion, thereby defeating the very
purpose of adopting ODR.
Jurisdiction: Internet being a borderless medium transcends and challenges
traditional concepts of jurisdiction. This leads to problem in deciding the
applicable substantive law which is to be applied to the dispute. This issue can only
be resolved by parties clearly identifying the applicable substantive and procedural
laws in the clause whereby they agree to submit the dispute to resolution by ODR.
Ultimately, the resolution of this issue would be contingent upon the
pronouncement of the court systems in different jurisdiction which would examine
and interpret such ODR clauses, but this process is inescapable and inevitable and
cannot be circumvented.
Hindrances at pre-trial stage: A significant component of the pre-trial stage is
discovery; interrogatories and collation of evidence in support the respective
contentions of the parties. This discovery or fact-finding process may be
minimized in the ODR process to speed the process of settlement of dispute.
However, in a situation where the facts are disputed, a limited discovery procedure
may serve to limit the fact finding capacity of the adjudicating authority to
discover the true and correct state of facts. Further, limiting or eliminating
discovery process may offend the due process, causing the courts to strike them
down as they do not meet the minimum requirements of due process.
Publication of proceedings and award: If ODR is to be encouraged as a
popular mode of dispute resolution, details of proceedings and decisions would be
required to be published which ensures transparency. But, this contradicts the very
essence of ODR, which is respecting the confidentiality and right to privacy of the
parties. Thus, the fate of ODR hangs in balance with one school of thought
demanding absolute secrecy of proceedings and the other school seeking
publication of proceedings and the decisions. As a matter of practice, currently, all
ODR providers keep the proceedings confidential and release information only if
both the parties agree to publish the decision.
248
Difficulty in enforcement of online awards: Like ADRs, in the case of online
arbitrations, once the decision has been rendered, the same has to be enforced in
the appropriate court. In several jurisdictions, including India, the orders in
execution are subject to appeals and this serves to protract the process of
execution. Going by this principle, unless the parties are assured of the
enforcement and implementation of the decisions, disputants may not have much
faith in online proceedings. Further, enforceability of foreign decisions pronounced
after completion of ODR proceedings is also an issue which must be considered
while agreeing to an ODR clause.
Challenging an award: Since ODR proceedings are conducted online, another
issue requiring clarity is the intervention of a court during or after the completion
of the proceedings and/or pronouncement of the decision. This will again raise the
question of: (a) the enforcement of the decision of the court in the country where
the opposite party operates/resides; and (b) appeals against the decision of the
court and enforcement of the said decision.
16.11 Future of ODR135

As said by Jeffrey N. Rosenthal is an attorney with Blank Rome, the
attractiveness of ODR services to the world-at-large will likely only increase. The
availability of such systems can build trust in a company by reminding consumers
and corporations dealing with it that a neutral third-party can cheaply and easily
resolve disputes.
However, India is yet to exploit the benefits of ODR. There is
an acute lack of legislative action or awareness in this regard. This problem is
teamed up with the lack of ODR institutions in India. Given the fact that its being
predicted that the SME Sector would be the driving force for growth in India, there
is huge scope for application of ODR Mechanism in resolution of dispute for
SMEs as ODR can be a cheap and easy way out of a disputes that are bound to
arise during the course of business.
Electronic commerce brings both comforts and discomforts to its users. The
comforts include on the spot sales and purchase, competitive costs, convenience,
135
Online Dispute Resolution System- A way toward hassle free dispute resolution by Srishti, Pleaders: Intelligent Legal
249
saving of time, etc. The discomforts include frauds and cybercrimes committed
against e-commerce users. At times there are disagreements and dissatisfactions as
well among buyers and purchasers that cannot be resolved using traditional
litigation methods.
This is the reason why we need alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism to
resolve e-commerce disputes in India. E-commerce regulations and laws in
India are limited in nature and this does not allow use of ADR mechanisms and
technology driven solutions. For instance, while European Union and other nations
are increasingly using online dispute resolution (ODR) for resolving many aspects
of e-commerce disputes yet online dispute resolution (ODR) in India is still not
known.
Similarly, establishment of e-courts in India can also facilitate early and effective
e-commerce disputes resolutions in India. However, till October 2012 we are still
waiting for the establishment of first e-court in India. E-courts and ODR in India
are urgently required to reduce backlog of cases and for reducing increasing
pressure upon traditional courts. E-courts and ODR can also help in e-commerce
disputes resolutions in India.136
Rehabilitation
16.12 Misuse of ODR

When records are wantonly accessible, there is a risk of invasion of privacy
or misuse of information. Technology must continue to adapt to an environment in
which challenges to privacy and the security of information are commonplace. The
resolution of disputes online may present new challenges to the security of
confidential information. One of the biggest technological obstacles to overcome is
the lack of personal connection inherent in conducting a court or ODR proceeding
electronically.
16.13 Summary
ODR is a wide field, which may be applied to a range of disputes; from
interpersonal disputes including consumer to consumer disputes (C2C) or marital
separation; to court disputes and interstate conflicts. It is believed that efficient
136
E-Commerce dispute resolution in India by Perry 4 law; retrieved from http://odrindia.in/tlceodri/
250
mechanisms to resolve online disputes will impact in the development of e-
commerce. ODR is a highly recommended method because it is not as time
consuming as normal litigation, disputes are easily documented and the person
need not submit to the jurisdiction of any court.
16.14 References
1. Online Dispute Resolution from Wikipedia; retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_dispute_resolution
2. Online Dispute Resolution with case studies by Karnika Seth, Attorney at
Law and Pertner, Seth Associates; retrieved from
3. Is India Ready for Online Dispute Resolution? By Anurag K. Agrawal, IIM
Ahmedabad; retrieved from http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/publications/data/2006-10-
03_aagarwal.pdf
4. Online Dispute Resolution System- A way toward hassle free dispute
resolution by Srishti, IPleaders: Intelligent Legal Solutions; retrieved from
http://blog.ipleaders.in/odr/
5. Online Dispute Resolution by Karnika Seth, Cyber law Expert & Managing
Partner, Seth Associates; retrieved from http://www.karnikaseth.com/wp-
content/uploads/ODR-CIAC%20conference%20paper.pdf
6. Online Dispute Resolution: A Step in the Right Direction(.pdf) by PSA, Issue
V, January 2010; retrieved from
http://psalegal.com/upload/publication/assocFile/Dispute-Resolution-Bulletin-
Issue-V01072010113348AM.pdf
7. Online Dispute Resolution in Asia by Zhao Yun, et. al.; retrieved from
http://www.mediate.com/articles/ODRTheoryandPractice22.cfm

1. ODR debuted in _________ in United States.
2. ODR generally used for solving _____________ disputes in online medium.
3. ___________ and __________ Model of ODR
4. In ODR AAA refers to _______________________________.
5. India has _________________________ Act for ODR.
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1. 1998
2. Business
3. Online and offline
4. American Arbitration Association
5. Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996

1. Describe the nature of ODR.
2. Discuss why ODR is important.
3. What are the drawbacks of ODR?
4. What all are the benefits of ODR?
5. Explain the difference between ODR and litigation?
252
Unit-17
Role of Law Enforcement Agencies and
Guidelines of various Ministries
Objectives:
 What are the Law Enforcement Agencies for cyber space?
 What is Scope and Development of Cyber Laws?
 How misuse by Law Enforcement Agencies are done.
Structure:
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Importance of trust and security on Cyberspace
17.3 Scope and Development of Cyber Laws
17.4 Future Aspects
17.5 Misuse of Law Enforcement Agencies
17.6 Summary
17.7 References
17.1 Introduction
Success in any field of human activity leads to crime that needs
mechanisms to control it. Legal provisions should provide assurance to users,
empowerment to law enforcement agencies and deterrence to criminals. The law
is as stringent as its enforcement. Crime is no longer limited to space, time or a
group of people. Cyber space creates moral, civil and criminal wrongs. It has
now given a new way to express criminal tendencies. Back in 1990, less than
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100,000 people were able to log on to the Internet worldwide. Now around 500
million people are hooked up to surf the net around the globe.
Until recently, many information technology (IT) professionals lacked
awareness of an interest in the cybercrime phenomenon. In many cases, law
enforcement officers have lacked the tools needed to tackle the problem; old laws
didn‖t quite fit the crimes being committed, new laws hadn‖t quite caught up to
the reality of what was happening, and there were few court precedents to look to
for guidance. Furthermore, debates over privacy issues hampered the ability of
enforcement agents to gather the evidence needed to prosecute these new cases.
Finally, there was a certain amount of antipathy—or at the least, distrust—
between the two most important players in any effective fight against
cybercrime: law enforcement agencies and computer professionals. Yet close
cooperation between the two is crucial if we are to control the cybercrime
problem and make the Internet a safe ‗place‘ for its users.
Law enforcement personnel understand the criminal mindset and know the basics
of gathering evidence and bringing offenders to justice. IT personnel understand
computers and networks, how they work, and how to track down information on
them. Each has half of the key to defeating the cybercriminal.
IT professionals need good definitions of cybercrime in order to know
when (and what) to report to police, but law enforcement agencies must have
statutory definitions of specific crimes in order to charge a criminal with an
offense. The first step in specifically defining individual cybercrimes is to sort all
the acts that can be considered cybercrimes into organized categories.137
17.2 Importance of trust and security on Cyberspace138

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) today have impacts
on virtually every aspect of society and every corner of the world in information
or digital age fostering commerce, improving education and health care, and
facilitating communications among all stakeholders. The more cases of cyber-
crimes over the ICTs especially through the fastest growing medium like
137
Cyber Law & Information Technology by Talwant Singh, Addl. Distt. & Sessions Judge, Delhi; retrieved from
http://delhidistrictcourts.nic.in/CYBER%20LAW.pdf
138
Cyber-Laws and Enforcement by Ajmal Edappagath, Supreme Court, New Delhi (India), IIMAHD, Vol. 14, No. 3, December
2004; retrieved from http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/egov/ifip/dec2004/article2.htm
254
Internet, the more voices for regulating them in any pattern. Some countries,
thus, began to accommodate such voices or demands through revising the
existing laws and / or issuing new legislation(s) – or ―cyber-laws‖ to deal with
new issues on ICTs.
The term or scope of ―cyber-laws‖ is yet unclear in many countries
although it can be interpreted at large in two: One is for the relevant legislations
dealing with or regulating converged computer, telecommunications and
multimedia or broadcasting in such cases as the Multimedia and
Communications Act, Malaysia; the other is for those tackling the emerging
cyber-crimes in such cases as the Information Technology Act in India and the
Convention of Cyber-crimes adopted by the Council of Europe. The term of
cyber-laws or legislations referred to in this paper will be limited to the latter.
In the global information society – beyond national jurisdictions, an
escalating national de jure regulation meets a similarly pervasive de facto futility
of enforcement. National legislatures might continue to enact regulations
especially over criminal matters, but their regulatory endeavors are unlikely to be
effectively enforceable, as they desire due to the global nature of ICTs. Global
phenomena like cyber-crimes should in principle propel nations to achieve
legislative co-operation and partnership at international levels, since cyber-space
is no respecter of national boundaries. The nature and extent of the problem in
enforcing the laws over the cyberspace is enormous. Some law enforcement
agencies are responding aggressively, others are not fully aware of the problem
on the cyberspace and lack the expertise and resources to pursue the kind of
cases appearing every day. Some ISPs have taken affirmative action‖s to
crackdown on cyber offenders, whilst others have not. There is a great deal more
that government and/or industry can and should do to empower individuals to
protect themselves against cyber offenders and other online threats.
17.3 Scope and Development of Cyber Laws139

The existing legislations and statutes need to be reviewed to determine
whether they can address the issues arising out of the new ICT era. If the current
139
255
laws are inadequate to deal with the problems, national governments and / or
appropriate regional and international bodies need to either revise the existing
laws or enact new laws to provide individual, corporate and government users
with maximum trust and security, as Table 1 articulates a few examples.
Enforcement mechanisms to optimize benefits of ICTs and secure
confidence of users, information society should be safe and secured through not
only cyber-laws per se but also appropriate enforcement mechanisms. However,
first of all, many countries do not have specific enforcement agencies to combat
various cyber-crimes.
Table 1: Scope and Development of ICT Legislations
Issues Laws National Actions International

Actions
Contracts Electronic Hong Kong/ China, UNCITRAL:
Transaction Act Singapore, Model Law
Thailand etc.
Harmful Penal Law or Australia, China, N.A.
sites or Legislation, HK/China, India,
contents Japan, Malaysia, New
Zealand, Philippines,
Singapore etc.
Hong Kong/China,
Obscenity Law, USA,
Communication UK,
Decency Act, EU etc.
Obscene Publication
Act,
Self-regulation etc.
Hacking E-Commerce Act Philippine N.A.
& virus
Intellectu Copyright Law, Hong Kong/China, WIPO:
al Patents Law, S.Korea, Ratification
Property Trade Marks Law, Singapore,
256
Right IPR Law, India,
(IPR) Green Paper on EU etc.
Counterfeiting &
Piracy etc.
Data Personal Data Law Hong Kong/China, OECD:
protection Privacy Law, S.Korea, Guidelines
& privacy Directive, EU(e.g.,D95/46/EC) on Trans-
Self-regulation etc. USA etc. border Data
Barriers &
The
Protection of
Privacy
Security Electronic Hong Kong/China,
Transactions Act, Germany, Italy,
Digital Signature Malaysia
Laws, Singapore etc.
UK (e.g., BS7799)
ITU:
India Recommenda
Standards tions
ISO:
IT Act etc. Standards
Taxation Internet Tax USA etc. N.A.
Freedom Act etc.
Domain N.A. Adopt ICANN practice ICANN
names in many nations.
Consumer Extension of existing EU etc. N.A.
protection consumer protection
Act
SPAM Spam Bill (2003) Australia, EU & USA ITU: New
initiative
(2004)
Beyond N.A. N.A. ITU & ISO
257
national standards
jurisdictio EU: Cyber-
n crime Treaty
(2002)
It is only the recent when countries started to create such agencies. For
instance, ‗a Cyber-crime Agency called European and Network Information
Security Agency (ENISA)‘ was created in early 2004 with a final approval by
the European Union. The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) was set up
under the wing of the National intelligence Service (NIC) in South Korea in
2004. Whilst, ‗Operation Cyber Seep in the USA is being coordinated
nationwide between the Justice Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
the Federal Trade Commission, postal inspectors and customs agents with
supported by state authorities and foreign government‘ – i.e., close coordination
is required among relevant agencies at not only national levels but also regional
and global levels, since one of the most important challenge often faced by the
enforcement agencies is that the cyber-criminals have the ability to commit the
crime quickly and then disappear without revealing their true identity or location.
Often these criminals are located in a foreign jurisdiction. Thus, tracking
them requires law enforcement agencies to be created and act faster through
cyber border cooperation from a spectrum of organizations representing
governments, businesses and consumer groups in various countries.
Second, cyber-law enforcement is relatively a new challenge for the most
enforcement agencies. Many countries do not have necessary skilled
law enforcement personnel to deal with computer and even broader ICT related
crimes. This undercuts the efforts to battle the growing threats like cyber-crimes.
In this regard, some countries have started special training for cyber policemen in
India by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies and
Anti-Cyber Crimes Cell (ACCC) officials in Pakistan. Many others are still
developing their expertise and resources to investigate and prosecute cyber cases.
Third, according to a recent survey of law enforcement agencies, it appears that a
majority of the agencies have not investigated or prosecuted any cyber cases. The
reason for such laxity was attributed to mainly the fact that the majority of its
victims don‖t report the conduct to law enforcement agencies. Moreover, the law
258
enforcement agencies per se will not take them seriously: i.e., lack of awareness
of importance of enforcement on cyber-crimes. Most law enforcement agencies
do neither recognize the serious nature of the cyber cases and nor investigate
them. This requires for raising awareness and education from not only the
enforcement agencies but also victims and citizens at large.
Fourth, at national levels, several countries began to impose legal enforcements
such as penalties or imprisonments on different types of cyber-crimes. For
example, according to the Spam Law passed on December 2 2003 in Australia,
‗first offenses will result in a maximum penalty of US$161,000 per day for
organizations and US$32,200 per a day for individuals. Repeat corporate
offenders will face a maximum penalty of US$805,500 for each day of
spamming, with individuals who are repeat spammers facing a maximum penalty
of US$161,000 per day.‘ In case of Singapore, ‗violators of the Computer
Misuse Act such as website crackers can be jailed up to 3 years of fined up to
S$10,000‘.
Fifth, greater cooperation, harmonization and effective communications among
law enforcement agencies and relevant bodies at national, regional and
international levels are essential to combat sophisticated cyber-crimes or
unlawful conducts at different jurisdictions through the ICTs, especially on the
Internet, since the limitation of law enforcement agencies to specific geographic
jurisdictions creates serious challenges for them when they investigate activities
that can be readily contrived to be extra-jurisdictional (i.e. occur somewhere
else), trans-jurisdictional (i.e. occur across two or more areas), or are supra-
jurisdictional (i.e. occur somewhere that no agency has jurisdiction over). To
meet this challenge of cross-border cyber-crimes at regional and international
levels: e.g.
 EU issued the Cyber-Crime Treaty in 2002, which has been signed by the
major European countries. Its main principle was based on a uniform approach to
fight the cyber-crimes to deal with jurisdiction and enforcement.
 ASEAN countries also seek stronger security links through a consideration
to develop a treaty on cyber-crime, so is the commonwealth.
259
 OECD developed a new web
site www.oecd.org/sti/cultureofsecurity dedicated to help combat security risks to
information systems and networks.
 UN ESCAP organized a seminar on ―Harmonized Development of Legal
and Regulatory Systems for E-Commerce in Asia and the Pacific‖ to raise
awareness among lawyers, justices, and legal professionals.
 ITU as the mandates has taken various actions from developing
international standards to organizing numerous seminars and meetings in order to
build confidence and ensure security of ICT, especially its networks.
Sixth, another important enforcement mechanism can be community or industry
self-regulation such as code of conducts or practices: e.g., the USA – especially
the FCC - together with private industries is in favor of 'un-regulation' of Internet
markets or 'self-regulation' by industries themselves especially in the areas of
privacy or personal data protection. Last but not least, law enforcements should
be hand-in-hand with developing technical measures such as software (e.g.,
open-source e-mail software, filtering system) and hardware (e.g., a new ―chip
and pin card‖).
17.4 Future Aspects140

The more cases of cyber-crimes over the converged ICTs especially
through the growth of Internet and e-commerce beyond national boundaries, the
more voices for regulating them at national, regional and international or multi-
lateral forms. As the types of cyber-crimes vary, however, ways of tackling the
different types of cybercrimes especially through legislations or regulations may
diverse from one country to another, especially when they occur within a specific
national jurisdiction with different definitions and socio-political environments
from others. Thus, harmonization of the relevant or different national laws is
increasingly required, which has been recognized and taken up actions by UN
agencies like the ESCAP and ITU. As well demonstrated in such cyber-crimes as
―love virus‖ or ―cyber-attack‖ affected by more than one national jurisdiction,
there is also need for either bi-lateral or multi-lateral cooperation on the
140
260
prosecution of international hackers or criminals to go farther and possibly
include a cyber-law treaty as practiced by the EC.
As a matter of fact, international legal instruments, which by definition embody
global consensus and/ or bind all member nations, could provide countries with
useful and creative tools for specific and defined areas of cyber-crimes as
international enforcement mechanisms: e.g., global conventions, multilateral
treaties (e.g., the Cyber-crime Treaty in the EU), international laws, global
standards (e.g., ITU and ISO) for confidence and security, model uniform laws
(e.g., UNITRAL), and model contracts/standard terms.
Recognizing the need for confidence and security in the use of ICTs at a global
level, moreover, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) led by
the ITU in 2003 has adopted that ‗’. A global culture of cyber security needs to
be promoted, developed and implemented in cooperation with all stakeholders
and international expert bodies. These efforts should be supported by increased
international cooperation‘ in declaration of its principles. The WSIS has also
adopted the Plan of Action including that ‗governments, in cooperation with the
private sector, should prevent, detect and respond to cyber-crime and misuse of
ICTs by: „ considering legislation that allows for effective investigation and
prosecution of misuse; „.; and encouraging education and raising awareness‘.
In view of the fact that cyber-crimes are growing at alarming rate, each country
by all stakeholders needs to have more pragmatic approaches at national,
regional and international levels: e.g.,
 Raise awareness of serious nature of the cyber-crimes for various target
groups from individuals, industries, and governments to specific enforcement
agencies.
 Revise, enact and enforce national and international laws specifying
various substantive and procedural aspects of issues emerging from cyber-space:
i.e., cyber-crimes.
 Harmonize different national laws to regulate and police the cyber-crimes
in a consistent and collective manner at various jurisdictional aspects.
 Coordinate and cooperate between and among the law enforcement
agencies of one‖s own country as well as other countries concerned.
261
 Endeavor to establish International Tribunals to regulate cyber cases or
crimes increased beyond national jurisdictions.
To sum up, every stakeholder should be aware of and actively involved in
preventing and solving together the destructive side of ICTs - i.e., cyber-crimes -
with an appropriate balance between regulations and self-regulations subject to
the different types of crimes in cyber-space, in order to optimize
more creative side or benefits of ICTs, which will further transform the
paradigms of our cultures, politics, and socio-economy beyond national
jurisdictions in the interconnected world today.
17.5 Misuse of Law Enforcement Agencies

The law enforcement fraternity has never been one for openness and consistency.
As the study notes, misuse of the DVS system is handled differently by every law
enforcement agency, if it's even punished at all. The lack of a codified "best
practices" or even a basic "user agreement" that holds the individual officer
responsible for his actions has led to widespread misuse. There is urgent need to
resolve this issue.
17.6 Summary
The law is as stringent as its enforcement. Crime is no longer limited to space,
time or a group of people. Cyber space creates moral, civil and criminal wrongs.
It has now given a new way to express criminal tendencies. Back in 1990, less
than 100,000 people were able to log on to the Internet worldwide. Now around
500 million people are hooked up to surf the net around the globe. Until recently,
many information technology (IT) professionals lacked awareness of an interest
in the cybercrime phenomenon.
17.7 References
1) Cyber Law & Information Technology by Talwant Singh, Addl. Distt. &
Sessions Judge, Delhi; retrieved from
http://delhidistrictcourts.nic.in/CYBER%20LAW.pdf
262
2) Cyber-Laws and Enforcement by Ajmal Edappagath, Supreme Court, New
Delhi (India), IIMAHD, Vol. 14, No. 3, December 2004; retrieved from
http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/egov/ifip/dec2004/article2.htm

1. NISA stands as ___________________________________.
2. Name one European cybercrime agency
___________________________________.
3. When was ENISA established? In the year __________.
4. NCSC stands for _______________________________________.
5. World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) led by _________.

1. European and Network Information Security Agency
2. European and Network Information Security Agency
3. 2004
4. National Cyber Security Center
5. ITU

1. What are the various pragmatic approaches at national, regional and
international levels for cybercrime?
2. How challenges of cross-border cyber-crimes are faced at regional and
international levels?
3. Discuss any two international conventions on cybercrime.
4. What are the future aspects of enforcement agencies against cybercrime?
5. Discuss some areas where development of cyber laws are must.
263
Unit-18
International Conventions and Treatise on
Cyber Crimes
Objectives:
 What are the Conventions on Cyber Crime Treaty?
 What is UN and US policy on it?
 How other different treatise are dealing with Cyber crimes.
 How misuse of these International Treatise are done.
Structure:
18.1 Introduction
18.2 Convention on Cyber Crime Treaty
18.3 Approaches against Cybercrime
18.4 U.S. Policy
18.5 The United Nations (UN)
18.6 The Council of Europe (Budapest Convention)
18.7 The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
18.8 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
18.9 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
18.10 The Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT)
18.11 Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group (SACCWG)
18.12 Misuse of International Conventions
18.13 Summary
18.14 References
18.1 Introduction
264
Today most cybercrimes such as 419 Nigerian attacks or fake
employment or lottery scams are trans-border. In the age of social media and cloud
computing, investigation of cybercrimes requires data and evidence often located
in another jurisdiction. There are widespread phishing attacks, global attacks on
infrastructure, transnational organized crimes and cyber wars. Therefore,
international cooperation in cybercrime matters is not an advantage but a necessity
today.
The Information Technology Act, 2000 also applies to any offence or
contravention committed outside India by any person irrespective of his nationality
if the act or conduct constituting the offence or contravention involves as
computer, computer system or network located in India. However, in-case there is
an offence committed by any foreign national under IT Act, 2000 such as identity
theft (section 66C of IT Act, 2000 and/or hacking under Section 66), legal
assistance and cooperation will be required from concerned Authorities in the
foreign country where the foreign national resides for any investigation /
prosecution/ extradition.
This is difficult to obtain in the absence of a Cybercrime Convention
that India is signatory to (as India has not signed any) and/or a Mutual Legal
Assistance Treaty (MLAT) for cooperation on cybercrime matters (as India has not
signed any).
Although India has signed MLAT with few countries for legal
assistance on criminal matters, a crime/ cybercrime may not be covered by it in
those arrangements which require dual criminality to be satisfied and one of
countries does not consider a cybercrime to be a crime as per its laws. Moreover,
the scope of assistance agreed in a MLAT India has signed with other countries on
criminal matters is not adequate to effectively handle cybercrime matters,
particularly because digital medium is dynamic.
A cybercrime can play havoc in cyberspace if it is a bot attack. As the
speed of committing crime and impact thereof is greater in cybercrime cases and
because electronic evidence can be easily tampered or is volatile, it is imperative to
trace the offender in the shortest possible time and preserve original evidence.
Moreover, tracing of offender in cybercrime cases may be more difficult due to
availability of several techniques to camouflage one's identity using
steganography, onion routing or other hide IP practices.
265
In the MLATs signed by India for criminal matters, in general, there
are no time limits for execution of requests and therefore such MLATs may not
provide efficient procedure or cooperation framework in cybercrime matters.
Effective investigation and prosecution of cybercrime matters requires quick action
as evidence is volatile and failure to collect electronic evidence in a timely manner
can stifle effective investigation.
India is currently a signatory to UN Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime. This Convention applies to criminal matters in general and may not be
effectively used in cybercrime cases. In 2013, a comprehensive study was
conducted by UN on the emerging problem of cybercrime with a view to
examining options to strengthen existing and to propose new national and
international legal or other responses to cybercrime. It was found that there is a
large diversity of national cybercrime laws on international cooperation and there
is need for harmonization of national legal frameworks-definition and scope of
cybercrimes, investigative powers, and admissibility of electronic evidence. It was
felt that the Convention and national legal frameworks need to be adapted by
making suitable amendments to deal with rising cybercrimes.141
18.2 Convention on Cyber Crime Treaty142

In 1997, the Council of Europe (CoE), an organization of 47 European
countries, appointed a Committee of Experts on Crime in Cyberspace to identify
and define new crimes, jurisdictional rights and criminal liabilities concerning the
Internet. Canada, Japan, South Africa and the U.S. were also invited to participate
in the discussions as observer nations. The goal was to create a set of standard laws
concerning cybercrimes for the global community and create a common criminal
policy to protect against cybercrimes. The country representatives sought to make
it easier for law enforcement to cooperate in collecting evidence in investigating
computer crimes.
The resulting Convention on Cybercrime of the CoE was passed in
June 2001 and is currently the only global document on this issue (CoE, 2001).
141
India needs to sign a Cybercrime Convention by Karnika Seth; retrieved from http://www.smetimes.in/smetimes/face-to-
face/2014/Jan/18/india-needs-to-sign-a-cybercrime-convention-karnika-seth630610.html
142
The Council of Europe’s Cyber Crime Treaty: An exercise in Symbolic Legislation by Nancy E. Marion, University of
Akron, USA; retrieved from http://www.cybercrimejournal.com/marion2010ijcc.pdf
266
The document attempts to define cybercrimes and to develop policies to prevent
particular crimes committed with use of the internet. The treaty includes provisions
geared toward fighting terrorism, child sexual exploitation, organized crime,
copyright infringement, hacking, and internet fraud. The Convention also acts as a
framework for international cooperation between countries in investigating and
prosecuting possible cybercrimes. Other portions of the treaty include descriptions
of extradition procedures.
If countries agree to the treaty, they must agree to pass legislation to address
particular computer crimes. They also agree to provide international cooperation to
other parties in the fight against computer-related crime by providing a contact for
countries that need immediate help in investigating a computer crime (Boni, 2001).
The treaty gives police agencies expanded powers to investigate and prosecute
computer crimes when the offense crosses national borders (‗US Ratifies,‘ 2006).
On November 7, 2002, the Council of Ministers adopted an additional protocol,
separate from the main Cybercrime Convention, which addresses racist and
xenophobic materials committed through computer networks (CoE, 2001).
After the CoE finalized the proposed treaty, it was signed by twenty-six
member states in Budapest, Hungary. The countries who enjoyed ‗observer status‘
(the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and Canada) had the option to sign it. It was then sent to
countries for ratification (Hancock, 2000). The treaty came into effect when five
states, including at least three CoE member states, ratified it (‗Convention on
Cybercrime Update,‘ 2002).
The Convention entered into force on July 1, 2004. To date, the Convention
has been ratified by twenty-four countries; twenty-three of whom have also signed
it but not ratified it. The last country to ratify the treaty was Germany, which did so
on March 9, 2009. The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty on August 3, 2006. Although
it appears to be a significant policy to attack cyber criminals, when examined
closely, it is clear that the treaty has many elements of symbolism in it.
The Treaty is organized into four chapters. Each chapter includes different
sections, which are then broken down into articles. Each chapter discusses a
different aspect of the treaty, with specifics given in the articles. In all, there are 48
articles in the treaty.
267
18.3 Approaches against Cybercrime143
In order to set the stage for the discussion of the individual countries
that follow it is important to note that most countries do not act unilaterally on
issues related to cyber-space (and indeed on any issue with international aspects).
However, countries do act traditionally, by definition, on domestic issues within
their jurisdiction. Part of the difficulty of formulating cyber-strategies and
cooperating in cyberspace is that it is not always clear whether a threat to
computers or networks or to personal information is domestic, or international, in
origin.
To illustrate this difficulty, consider the following ‗Origins of Hacks‘ map,
provided by the NCC Group. The map portrays the top ten countries in the third
quarter of 2012 that served as the point of origin of an attack on another computer
(a ―hack‖ or ―cyber-attack‖). Some of these attacks, no doubt are aimed at
computers and networks in other countries, but others are aimed at computers
within the country. Each of these countries, and indeed each and every country that
participates in cyberspace, faces the same challenge of attempting to formulate
courses of action that integrate both domestic authority and international
cooperation. With limited domestic resources, lack of inter-jurisdictional
cooperation, and lack of regulatory enforcement in cyberspace, countries have
attempted to increase cooperation with other countries and within international
treaties.
United States – Australia: In 1951 the Australia, New Zealand, United States
Security Treaty (ANZUS) was signed to cooperate on military defence matters in
the Pacific Ocean. The Treaty is an alliance of three countries built on separate
bilateral bonds – one between United States and Australia and another between
Australia and New Zealand.
Since 1985 New Zealand has been an inactive member of the Treaty
and the meetings are being held only between U.S. and Australia‖s officials. In
143
International Comparison of Cyber Crime (.pdf) by Avner Levin (Director) et. al.; retrieved from
http://www.ryerson.ca/tedrogersschool/privacy/documents/Ryerson_International_Comparison_ofCyber_Crime_-
March2013.pdf
268
2011 a new clause was added to ANZUS, which specifies that it will also apply to
the cyberspace.
New Zealand – Australia: New Zealand has recently moved from observer status
to membership in Australia‖s Counter-Terrorism and Emergency Management
Committees. In a recent joint statement it was agreed that both countries will work
together in the cyber incident response area to ensure that networks of national
importance remain resilient to cyber intrusions.‘
New Zealand – United Kingdom: New Zealand and the United Kingdom are
preparing an agreement in which the two countries will share intelligence, research
and development on internet offences, and will draw common strategic goals.
United States – China: bilateral discussions on cooperation in the Cyber security
China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR, China) and the
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, United States) started in 2009
and the respected organizations have held six formal meetings on cyber security
since that time.
Over the years the parties have reached some areas of agreement and shared views
on issues such as risk of ‗third-party‘ non-state actors (i.e., terrorist groups), and
views on cooperation against cybercrimes such as fraud and child pornography.
Meanwhile, the U.S. indicated that ‗the line between civilian and military is
blurred, but the concept of the protection of civilians can be found in the Geneva
and Hague conventions, which CSIS proposes that all nations agree to observe in
cyberspace‘. Furthermore, the parties discuss what behaviors could be considered
cyber-attack or cyber war. So far they agreed that the stakes should be high;
however, they still need to define the duration and effects of cyber actions that
could be regarded as cyber-attacks. We have yet to observe what turn the
international dialog on cyber security between the two countries will take in light
of the recent report from the U.S.-based cyber threat analysis agency Mandiant that
exposed a series of cyber-attacks from China on United States, the accusations that
where later denied by Chinese officials.
China – France: The China-France Joint Working Committee on
Information Technology and Communications.
269
Furthermore, there is a bilateral China-US engagement ‗On Cyber
security Cooperation against Spam‘ since 2011. The objectives of this cooperation
include:
 Establishing a genuine dialogue between the subject matter experts and
stakeholders from the two countries;
 Develop common understanding of each other‖s perspectives;
 Agree on international policy for reducing spam in cyberspace.
United States – Canada: cyber security cooperation is part of the action plan
Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic
Competitiveness between the two countries.
United Kingdom – India both countries announced in 2013 that the countries will
sign an agreement on cyber security issues this year, which should improve
personal data protection and increase the stored amount of United Kingdom‖s data
on Indian servers.
As to international agreements, there are many international bodies that aim to
regulate cyberspace. Among the prominent initiatives are those of the United
Nations (UN) and the Council of Europe (also known as the Budapest
Convention). Most of the European countries are signatories to the Council of
Europe Convention on Cybercrime and assign greater focus on multilateral
regional alliance rather than on establishing bilateral cooperation with some select
countries. The Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime was the first
international treaty that focused on legal procedures to address the acts of criminal
behavior against computer systems and networks. Apart from the 45 members of
the Council of Europe, the Budapest Convention has been adopted by Canada,
Japan, South Africa and the United States.
18.4 U.S. Policy144

Both the Clinton and Bush Administrations worked closely with the Council
of Europe on the Convention. U.S. officials believe that it ‗removes or minimizes
144
Cybercrime: The Council of Europe Convention by Kristin Archick, Analyst in European Affairs; retrieved from
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/36076.pdf
270
the many procedural and jurisdictional obstacles that can delay or endanger
international investigations and prosecutions of computer-related crimes.‘
The Bush Administration was pleased with the Convention‖s data
preservation approach, which requires the storage of specified data — relevant to a
particular criminal investigation and already in a service provider‖s possession —
for a limited period of time. It views this provision, currently lacking in many
national laws, as key to improving the counter-terrorist capabilities of law
enforcement officials worldwide.
As noted above, the Bush Administration submitted the Convention to the Senate
for ratification in November 2003. U.S. policymakers assert that the Convention
will not require implementing legislation; the United States will comply with the
Convention based on existing U.S. federal law. Legal analysts say that American
negotiators succeeded in scrapping most objectionable provisions, such as the hate
speech article, thereby ensuring that the Convention tracks closely with existing
U.S. laws.
Proponents assert that many of the Convention provisions reflect the spirit of
several Congressional measures that relate to cybercrime, cyber terrorism and
cyber security, including:
 The USA PATRIOT Act (P.L. 107-56, introduced as H.R. 3162 by Rep.
James Sensenbrenner in October 2001) authorizes the interception of electronic
communications for the collection of evidence related to terrorism, computer fraud,
and abuse (Sections 201 and 202). It also clarifies the definition of protected
computers and increases fines and prison terms for damage (Section 814).
 The Homeland Security Act (P.L. 107-296 introduced as H.R. 5005 by Rep.
Richard Armey in June 2002) directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to
reevaluate federal sentencing guidelines for crimes involving computer-related
fraud and hacking offenses, especially against restricted federal government
systems (Section 225, the Cyber Security Enhancement Act of 2002).
18.5 The United Nations (UN)145
145
March2013.pdf
271
The UN attempts to govern cyberspace through the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the regulations created by the ITU (ITRs).
The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is also concerned with
cybercrime. ITRs concerning cyberspace were adopted initially in 1988. A
resolution on computer crime legislation was adopted in 1990, at the 8th U.N.
Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in Havana,
Cuba. In 2000 Resolution 55/63 on combating the criminal misuse of information
technologies was adopted by the General Assembly, and it includes the following
statements:
- ‗States should ensure that their laws and practice eliminate safe havens for
those who criminally misuse information technologies.‘
- ‗Legal systems should protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability
of data and computer systems from unauthorized impairment and ensure that
criminal abuse is penalized.‘
This was followed by Resolution 56/121 in 2001, and by the launch in 2007
of the Global Cybercrime Agenda (GCA) by the ITU. In 2010 the General
Assembly adopted Resolution 65/230 that proposed to establish ‗an open-ended
intergovernmental expert group to conduct a comprehensive study of the problem
of cybercrime and responses to it by the Member States, the international
community and the private sector, including the exchange of information on
national legislation, best practices, technical assistance and international
cooperation, with the view to examining options to strengthen existing and to
propose new national and international legal or other responses to cybercrime‘
The latest amendments (‗Final Acts‘) were added to the ITR at the recent
World Conference on International Telecommunication held in Dubai in December
2012 (WCIT-12). 89 countries were signatories to the Final Acts. Among the
countries covered in this report, only Russia signed the amendments, and the Dubai
amendments were widely portrayed as attempts by Russia and its allies to wrest
control over the internet from the United States.
18.6 The Council of Europe (Budapest Convention)146

146
March2013.pdf
272
The Council covers Europe as well as Russia. Canada and the US are
Observer States. In 1997 the Council established a Committee of Experts on Crime
in Cyber-space, and in 2001 the Council adopted the Convention on Cybercrime,
known as the Budapest Convention.
Russia objects to certain Convention provisions, which allow for what
Russia considers extra jurisdictional exercises of power that amount to interference
in a country‖s internal affairs. According to some reports over 100 nations are
using the Council of Europe Convention as the basis for domestic legislation to
combat the threat of cybercrime. So far 35 countries are a party to the Convention.
Other prominent organizations include the OECD, NATO and APEC.
18.7 The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD)147
The OECD was the first international organization that initiated guidelines for
computer crime. By its nature the OECD does not establish treaties, and it is
devoted to the promotion of a global coordinated policy approach. The OECD
established a Task Force on Spam in 2004 The OECD Working Party on
Information and Privacy (WPISP) develops international guidelines on cyber
security and in 2002 published a document titled ‗Security of Information Systems
and Networks: Towards a Culture of Security.‘ In 2008 it released ‗Scoping paper
on online Identity theft‘ a report with some recommendations on how to fight
identity theft (this document also suggested to recognize identity theft as a separate
offence in criminal laws.) It was followed up in 2009 by the ‗OECD Policy
Guidance on Online Identity Theft‘ report.
18.8 The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)148

By virtue of its mandate NATO focuses more on cyber-attacks carried by countries
or national elements against NATO members. NATO‖s Senior Civil Emergency
147
March2013.pdf
148
March2013.pdf
273
Planning Committee (SCEPC) assists NATO members in the protection of civilian
populations from terrorist attacks against critical infrastructure and is also
responsible for coordinating the civil critical infrastructure. NATO‖s Civil
Communication Planning Committee (CCPC) is responsible for the electronic
public and non-public communication infrastructures, and has published several
papers on civil communications infrastructures. NATO‖s Civil Protection
committee (CPC) has initiated work on critical infrastructure protection, and
developed a Critical Infrastructure Protection Concept Paper in 2003. NATO‖s
Industrial Planning Committee (IPC) has also contributed on preventive measures
for the protection of critical infrastructure. NATO established a Centre of
Excellence for Defense against Terrorism in 2008.
18.9 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)149

The deliberations of APEC are important in this and other multinational areas
since it brings together the US, Canada, China and Russia. In 1990 APEC
established its Telecommunications and Information Working Group (TEL) that
works in turn through three groups: the Liberalization Steering Group (LSG), the
ICT Development Steering Group (DSG) and the Security and Prosperity Steering
Group (SPSG). . SPSG‖s scope covers the promotion of security, trust and
confidence in networks/ infrastructure/ services /technologies/applications/e-
commerce; oversight of Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and
Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs); the issues of Spam,
Spyware and Cybercrime prevention; the development of human resources and
capacity in order to combat cybercrime and implement effective cyber security
awareness initiatives; and the facilitation of business through discussions with the
private sector on promoting security, trust and confidence in the use of ICT for
business and trade. Of these, the e-Security Task Group created in 2003 a
Cybercrime Legislation & Enforcement Capacity Building Project.
Two other multinational organizations should also be mentioned. The
Organization of American States (OAS) to which both Canada and the US belong,
has a Department of Legal Cooperation that offers an ‗Inter-American Cooperation
149
March2013.pdf
274
Portal on Cyber-Crime‘. OAS agreed in 2003 to a ‗Comprehensive Inter-American
Cyber-security Strategy: A multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach to
creating a culture of Cyber-security.‘
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an organization of Russia, China
and several former Soviet republics. These countries have entered into the
Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism. SCO
has also issued several related statements: The Yekaterinburg Declaration of 2009
mentioned information security as one of the main priorities in a common system
of international security. In 2012 SCO‖s Heads of State Council meeting in Beijing
stated: ‗The SCO will stand firm to fight against terrorism, separatism and
extremism as well as international cybercrime‘.
Sometimes international cooperation against cybercrime is established with a very
particular goal and not just on a national level but between specific governmental
agencies. An example of such organization is The Virtual Global Taskforce
(VGT).
18.10 The Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT)150

VGT is an alliance of international law enforcement agencies and
private sector partners working together to combat online child sexual abuse.
Specifically, the VGT comprises the Australian Federal Police as Chair, the Child
Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in the UK, the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, the US Department of Homeland Security, INTERPOL, the Italian Postal
and Communication Police Service, the Ministry of Interior for the United Arab
Emirates, the New Zealand Police and Europol.
One more particularly notable international organization against
cybercrime is Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group.
18.11 Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group

(SACCWG)151
150
March2013.pdf
275
SACCWG was assembled in 2006. It is a special unit consisting of five law
enforcement agencies: The Australian High Tech Crime Centre (AHTCC), FBI
(USA), New Zealand Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and Serious
Organized Crime Agency (United Kingdom). Over the last five years several
countries repeatedly tried to initiate discussion about the need for common
international Cyberspace Treaty, suggesting that bilateral and regional agreements
are not enough to secure cyberspace and prevent cyber-war.
Rehabilitation
18.12 Misuse of International Conventions

The Conventions and their Additional Protocols contain several articles on
the emblem. Among other things, they specify the use, size, purpose and placing of
the emblem, the persons and property itprotects, who can use it, what respect
forthe emblem entails and the penalties for misuse. According to studies in peace
and conflict resolution, the relative importance of diversion or misuse of officially
authorized transfers compared to international illegal black market trafficking has
been thoroughly confirmed and the author here goes on to elaborate that for most
developing or fragile states a combination of weak domestic authorized firearms
possession with theft, lost or corrupt sale tends to be a big source.
18.13 Summary
A cybercrime can play havoc in cyberspace if it is a bot attack. As the
speed of committing crime and impact thereof is greater in cybercrime cases and
because electronic evidence can be easily tampered or is volatile, it is imperative to
trace the offender in the shortest possible time and preserve original evidence.
Moreover, tracing of offender in cybercrime cases may be more difficult due to
availability of several techniques to camouflage one's identity using
steganography, onion routing or other hide IP practices.
18.14 References
151
March2013.pdf
276
1. India needs to sign a Cybercrime Convention by Karnika Seth; retrieved
from http://www.smetimes.in/smetimes/face-to-face/2014/Jan/18/india-needs-to-
sign-a-cybercrime-convention-karnika-seth630610.html
2. The Council of Europe‖s Cyber Crime Treaty: An exercise in Symbolic
Legislation by Nancy E. Marion, University of Akron, USA; retrieved from
http://www.cybercrimejournal.com/marion2010ijcc.pdf
3. International Comparison of Cyber Crime (.pdf) by Avner Levin (Director)
et. al.; retrieved from
http://www.ryerson.ca/tedrogersschool/privacy/documents/Ryerson_International_
Comparison_ofCyber_Crime_-March2013.pdf
4. Cybercrime: The Council of Europe Convention by Kristin Archick, Analyst
in European Affairs; retrieved from
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/36076.pdf

1) The Council of Europe (CoE), an organization of _____________ countries.
2) The ITU stands for _______________________________________.
3) OECD stands as
___________________________________________________.
4) SACCWG was assembled in 2006. It is a special unit consisting of
___________________ agencies.
5) North Atlantic Treaty Organization is also known as _________ in short.
1) 47 European
2) International Telecommunications Union
3) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
4) Five law enforcement
5) NATO
a. Write a short note on conventions on cybercrime.
b. What are the approaches of different countries to combat against cybercrime?
Explain any three.
277
c. Write a note on OECD.
d. How U.S. policy and U.N. policy differs with each other?
e. What do you understand by NATO and APEC? Explain.
278

Cyber Notes

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Cyber Notes

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Unit-1

Introduction to Cyber Crimes

1.2 Origin of Cyber Crime2

1.3 What is Cyber Law?3

1.4 Need for Cyber Law4

1.5 Jurisprudence of Indian Cyber Law5

1.7.1 Cyber pornography

1.8 Frequently Used Cyber Crimes8

Denial of Service attack

Virus / worm attacks

1.9 Misuse of technology

1.12 Check your progress

1.13 Answers to check your progress

1.14 Terminal questions

2.2 Conventional Crime13

2.3 Cyber Crime14

2.4 Distinction between Conventional & Cyber Crime15

2.5 Reasons for Cyber Crime16

2.6 Cyber Criminals17

2.7 Mode and Methods of Committing Cyber Crimes18

2.7 Motive behind any Attack19

2.8 Classification of Cyber Crime20

2.9 Information Technology Act

2.10 Relevant Cyber Crimes other than IT Act, 2000

Internet Time Theft

2.11 Misuse of technology in the form of cyber crime

2.16 Terminal Questions

3.1 Cyber Crime in Modern Society

3.2 Categories of Cyber Crime

2. Denial of service Attack

13. Email bombing

3.4 How to Tackle Cyber Crime

3.5 Major Threats of Cyber Crime in the Current Scenario30

3.7 Cyber laws32

1. Cybercrimes under the IT Act

3.8 Prevention of Cyber Crime33

3.9 Misuse of technology

3.12 Check your progress

3.13 Answers to check your progress

3.14 Terminal Questions

4.2 Computer Forensics Defined

4.3 Objectives of Cyber Forensics41

4.4 Legal Scenario42

4.5 Legal Provisions in Indian Perspective43

4.6 Phases of Cyber Forensics44

4.6.1 Identification Phase

4.9 Case Laws

4.10 Misuse of computer forensics

4.13 Check your progress

4.15 Terminal questions

S.No. Section Offence Name Description Penalty

The offences included in the IT Act 2000 are as follows:

5.4 Offences under the IT Act 2000

5.4.1 Section 65: Tampering with computer source documents

6.2 Accrued liability and procedural law54

6.3 Data Protection

6.5 Privacy and surveillance

6.9 Misuse of technology

6.13 Answers to check your progress

6.14 Terminal Questions

7.2 Misuse of Information Technology under Indian Penal

S.No. Section Offence Name Description Penalty

7.3 Offences covered under IPC and Special Laws63

7.3.1 Sending threatening messages by email

7.4 Section 46 (Power to adjudicate – Adjudicating Officer)66

7.5 What is a Cybercrime?67

7.7 Use of Internet and Computers by Terrorists68

7.8 Misuse of technology

7.13 Terminal Questions

8.2 Cyber Defamation In Corporate World

8.3 Cyber Crime and Criminal Justice System

8.4 Indian Scenario

8.5 Case Studies

8.6 Deletion/blocking of content

8.10 Check your progress

8.11 Answers to check your progress