Cyber Harassment Against Women: Discover Types of Cyber Harassment, Legal Provisions in Cyber Harassment, and the IT Act 2000.

Cyber Harassment Against Women: Introduction

Cyber Harassment is not defined under the Information Technology Act of 2000 or any other law in India. Crime or offence has been meticulously defined by the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and a number of other acts by listing particular offences and their related punishments.

Cybercrime is defined as illegal operations that include digital technology or the internet. It includes a broad variety of illegal activities such hacking, identity theft, phishing, online fraud, the dissemination of malware, and several types of cyberattacks meant to destroy computer systems, steal data, or hurt people, companies, or governments.

Cyberspace is the name for the artificially created environment that is the internet, and cyber laws are the regulations that apply there. Since it has a form of universal jurisdiction, all users of this space are governed by these laws. As a subset of law that deals with legal problems brought on by the use of networked information technology, cyber law can also be viewed as a distinct field of study in itself.

The pandemic has been a tough time for people around the world. People have faced many challenges, including medical shortages, discontent and isolation during the lockdown, loss of jobs and business income, and loss of loved ones due to illness. this deadly infectious disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be a disaster, claiming countless lives and devastating millions around the world.

The pandemic has not only claimed the lives of millions of people but has also been a difficult time for many people who have lost their jobs or were forced to close businesses due to the lockdown, for families who have lost their sole income from households, for children who lost both their parents at such a young age, and more. even so, this is not the case! As people are struggling and fighting the pandemic, another tragedy is spreading like a virus, that of cybercrime and mobile crime.

Meanwhile, while many people are using the internet and mobile devices to entertain themselves and keep themselves busy during the pandemic, some people are showing their discomfort with the blockade order by abusing social networks. this stuff and bully others. Cybercrime involving the Internet as a medium has grown and accelerated during the pandemic.

Cybercrime Victims: 

Women and children were the most vulnerable elements of society during the epidemic, making them easy targets for cyber criminals while men and adults were the victims of countless cyber crime scams. Women were exposed to similar crimes throughout the pandemic, in particular housewives and those who visit social media.

The amount of cybercrime incidents against women increases during lockdown and then decrease, according to reports from the 2021 National Commission for Women. The incidence of cybercrimes against women substantially increased in March 2021 and continued to rise in April and May, when India was badly affected by the second batch of COVID-19 and almost the whole country was subjected to draconian lockdown restrictions.

Finally, when the second wave of the pandemic faded and the lockdown restrictions were eased in June, the frequency of cyberattack occurrences also started to drop and kept doing so as the lockdown restrictions were withdrawn in July. In previous years, the number of female victims of cybercrime was extremely low, but it significantly increased during the epidemic and shutdown.

Types of Cyber Harassment Against Women:

During the epidemic and lockdown, people were compelled to utilise the internet for social, professional, recreational, and educational purposes. Utilising computers, smartphones, and the internet, working women started doing so from home. Women who are still in school are compelled to utilise the internet for online coursework and other academic pursuits.

The rate of Cyber Harassment Against Women started to increase at this time since the majority of women were utilising social media websites and one or more online platforms for educational, professional, and recreational objectives. Criminals started mentally and emotionally tormenting the victim because they could not physically harm them because the entire country was under lockdown.

Following commonly encountered Cyber Harassment by Women:

1. Cyber Stalking: Cyberstalking is a type of harassment that occurs online, where a person uses digital communication platforms to repeatedly pursue, monitor, or threaten another individual. It involves unwanted and intrusive behavior, which may include sending threatening messages, spreading false information, monitoring the victim’s online activities, or attempting to intimidate them. Cyberstalking is a serious violation of privacy and can cause significant emotional distress and fear for the victim. Legal measures and online safety precautions are essential to combat this form of harassment.
2. Cyber Bullying: This includes, among other things, sending rape and death threats to the victim as well as making hurtful comments on the victim’s posts and posting false, misleading, and abusive statements about the victims on social networking sites and demanding money to have them taken down. Digital or communicative tools like a computer, mobile phone, or laptop are used to perpetrate a type of harassment and bullying.
3. Sextoration: The most common cybercrime performed against women during the epidemic is sex exploitation. By using their victims’ private photos or altered images as blackmail, the crooks started demanding money or sexual favours from them. In order to vent their aggravation over the epidemic, the offenders intimidated women and asked for sexual videoconferencing or letters from them. Additionally, because they had no money, they felt empowered to threaten victims with their altered images in order to get money from them.
4. Cyber Hacking: During the epidemic, people started reading the news online. There are more examples of false news and information now than ever before. After clicking on malicious URLs, the women were the victims of cyber hacking. The virus downloaded all of their personal information to their phones, turned on the microphone and camera, and took pictures and videos of them becoming intimate. Then, criminals use these bits of information and pictures to carry out sextortion and other crimes.
5. Phishing: To make money during the lockdown, criminals send phoney email messages with a link to a particular webpage in an effort to coerce the victim into entering personal information like contact information and passcodes or with the purpose of infecting the victim’s device with dangerous viruses as soon as the link is clicked. These texts and emails appear to be authentic. The attackers then carry out shady transactions from the victim’s account to their own using the victim’s bank account and other confidential information.
6. Pornography: During the outbreak, offenders participated in online sex assaults against women, altering the victim’s image and using it in pornographic material.
7. Cybersex Trafficking: In contrast to sex trafficking, the victims have no direct interaction with the abuser. Cybersex trafficking occurs when a dealer broadcasts, records, or photographs the victim doing sexual/intimate actions from a central place and then sells the material on the internet to sexual abusers and purchasers. The offenders have sexually abused women by coercing, manipulating, and blackmailing them into becoming involved in cybersex trafficking.
8. Non-consensual sharing of intimate images (Revenge Porn): Sharing or distributing intimate images or videos of women without their consent, often with the intent to humiliate, shame, or blackmail them.
9. Doxing: Publishing personal information such as home addresses, phone numbers, or workplace details with the intention to harass or intimidate women.
10. Online grooming and sexual harassment: Initiating unwanted sexual advances, requests for explicit images, or engaging in sexually suggestive conversations online.

Legal Provisions in Cyber Harassment:

Although a comprehensive legal framework for the laws governing the cyber sector, including such activities, has not been drawn up, certain legal remedies under different laws can assist victims. of cyber violence.

Indian Penal Code 1860
Prior to 2013, there were no laws specifically addressing online abuse or crimes against women in cyberspace. Section 354A of Criminal Amendment Act 2013 amends Indian Penal Code 1860 by adding sections 354A to 354D.

Section 354A: A man commits any of the following events – asking for or begging for sexual services; or display sexually explicit content against the will of a woman; or make sexual comments – commits sexual harassment and carries a heavy penalty of up to 3 years in prison, a fine, or both. In the case of the first two, and imprisonment for up to one year, or a fine, or both.

Section 354C: Gratification as the act of taking and/or posting pictures of a woman engaged in private conduct without her consent. To be considered “satisfactory”, the conditions must be such that the woman “generally does not expect to be seen by the abuser or by anyone acting on the abuser’s orders”. Persons convicted under this article face fines and up to three years in prison for first convictions and seven years for consecutive convictions

Section 354D: Added a harassment ban including online harassment. Harassment is described as the practice in which a man pursues or communicates with a woman even though the woman is clearly not interested in that exposure, or in tracking online activity or usage. web or electronic communication of a woman. A man found guilty of harassment faces up to three years in prison and a fine for the first offence, and up to five years in prison and a fine for consecutive convictions.

In addition to specific amendments to the Code, there are a number of other laws under which cyber attacks can be reported and defendants prosecuted. These include the following:

Article 499: Slander is performing an act with the aim of smearing a person’s reputation. When done with the intent of damaging a woman’s reputation, defamation by publishing an immediate and clear statement of attribution is punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, fine or both.

Section 503: Threats to damage a person’s reputation, or to frighten or force them to change course about what they normally do or don’t do, constitute criminal intimidation. The act of blackmailing a person online, as done in the example above, may be covered by this law. Article 507:
This section establishes the maximum penalty for criminal threats made by a person whose identity is unknown to the victim. Any anonymous communication that constitutes a criminal threat in violation of a previous Section 503 is sanctioned under this Section.

Article 509: Anyone who utters a word, sound, or gesture, or displays an object with the intent that a woman hears or see the word, sound, gesture or object and offends her modesty or invade her privacy, may be charged under this section and sentenced to up to three years in prison and a fine. This section may penalise sexually explicit comments or comments on the Web, as well as pictures and other sexually explicit content that is forcibly transmitted on the Web.
Identity.

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Information Technology Act (IT Act 2000):

Section 66C: Theft is a punishable offence under Article 66C of the Computer Law. This provision will apply to cases of network piracy. Under this provision, anyone who fraudulently or dishonestly uses another person’s electronic signature, password or other identifier will face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to three years. R. a lakh.

Section 66E: It deals with a violation of a person’s privacy. Taking, publishing or sending pictures of a person’s private space without their consent or in the case of a violation of their privacy is punishable by up to three years in prison and/or a fine. Article 67 makes it illegal to publish, transmit or distribute obscene material and punish violators with up to three years in prison and a fine on first conviction and up to five years imprisonment and fines on the second conviction.

Section 67A: It makes posting, transmitting, or facilitating the transmission of sexually explicit material an offence punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine for the first offence, and up to 7 years in prison and a fine for the second offence.

Indecent depiction of women bill 2012: This measure controls and prohibits obscene depictions of women in advertising, publication, and other forms of media. This measure seeks to expand the scope of the law to include audiovisual media and electronic materials, as well as the dissemination of web material and portraits of women on the web. But the bill was withdrawn in July 2021.

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Effective Strategies to Prevent Cyber Harassment:

In today’s digital age, cyber harassment has become a pervasive threat, particularly for women. However, there are proactive steps individuals can take to protect themselves and minimize the risk of becoming victims. Here are some effective strategies to prevent cyber harassment:

1. Educate Yourself: Understanding what constitutes cyber harassment and being aware of the various forms it can take is crucial. Educate yourself about online safety practices, privacy settings on social media platforms, and recognize warning signs of potential harassment.
2. Maintain Strong Privacy Settings: Regularly review and adjust the privacy settings on your social media accounts and other online profiles. Limit the amount of personal information you share publicly, and be cautious about accepting friend requests or connections from strangers.
3. Use Strong Passwords: Ensure that your online accounts are protected by strong, unique passwords. Avoid using easily guessable passwords or reusing the same password across multiple accounts. Consider using a password manager to securely store and manage your passwords.
4. Be Mindful of Sharing Personal Information: Exercise caution when sharing personal information online, including your address, phone number, and details about your daily activities. Avoid posting sensitive information that could be used by harassers to track or target you.
5. Think Before You Click: Be wary of clicking on links or downloading attachments from unfamiliar sources, as they could be malicious. Phishing scams and malware attacks are common tactics used by cyber harassers to gain access to personal information or compromise your devices.
6. Report and Block: If you experience cyber harassment, don’t hesitate to report abusive behavior to the relevant platform or authorities. Most social media platforms have mechanisms in place for reporting harassment, and many have options to block or restrict users who engage in abusive behavior.
7. Seek Support: Don’t suffer in silence. Reach out to friends, family members, or support organizations for help and guidance if you’re experiencing cyber harassment. Talking to someone you trust can provide emotional support and practical advice on how to address the situation.
8. Stay Updated on Security Measures: Keep abreast of the latest developments in online security and privacy best practices. Regularly update your devices’ software and antivirus programs to safeguard against potential threats.
9. Trust Your Instincts: If something feels off or makes you uncomfortable online, trust your instincts and take action to protect yourself. Don’t hesitate to remove yourself from situations or interactions that feel unsafe or threatening.

By proactively implementing these strategies, individuals can empower themselves to navigate the digital world safely and minimize the risk of falling victim to cyber harassment. Remember, your online safety is paramount, and taking preventive measures is key to safeguarding your well-being in cyberspace.

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