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December 2009

New cyber law casts its net wide

By Raman Jokhakar, Tarunkumar Singhal, Chartered Accountants
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  1. New cyber law casts its net wide

The country’s cyber law has finally caught up with cyber
criminals. Eight months after it received presidential assent, the amended
Information Technology Act of 2008 came into force on October 27. The amended
Act has spread its net to tackle more offences, including cyber terrorism,
Wi-Fi hacking, sending and viewing child pornography, video voyeurism,
identity theft and even spam. But at the same time, it allows the government
to intercept information and snoop on its citizens. The original Act had
effectively just one criminal S. 66 for cyber crime and it was widely worded,
but vague. The new Act covers a range of crimes that attract punishment from a
three-year jail term to a life sentence.

Critics say the flip side is that it gives unfettered power
to the government to monitor all e-traffic. The information could be misused,
say cyber activists. The central government, though, says safeguards have been
put in place to check misuse.

(Source : The Times of India, 28-10-2009)

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