Date:04/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/04/stories/2005030419030300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

New law will make detecting cyber crime easy

By Vidyashree Amaresh

BANGALORE, MARCH 3. Are the Internet surfers in the cyber cafes comfortable with revealing their personal identities to the cyber cafe owners? Will they comply with the new rules of the State Government aimed at tracking perpetrators of online fraud, virus attacks and terrorism?

Officials of the country's first cyber crime cell, headquartered in the city, will now keep a watch on Internet users in the cyber cafes as a security measure. Such cafes will soon have a logbook carrying details of the users. If a user does not carry an identity card, the cafe owner is authorised to photograph the person with a web camera.

Obscene e-mails

The authorities say most of India's obscene e-mails emerge from Internet centres that are growing fast across the country. Some of the growing cyber crimes include hacking, data theft, source code theft, web site defacement, obscenity and harassment.

Intrusion?

According to Haneef, a frequent Internet user, the new law is certainly an intrusion into privacy. "If the rules are only for those using the cafe, how about those who misuse Internet from their home computers or at their work place? The Government should formulate some other strategy to check on cyber crimes."

"Cyber users better get used to this measure. It will make detecting cyber criminals easier for the police," says an official dealing with cyber crime.

Young women are being targeted with obscene e-mails sent mainly from cyber cafes that have provided anonymity to the user till now. When there is transparency, cyber crimes will definitely come down, the official said.

Opposed

The Association of Public Internet Access Providers has, however, opposed the rules as they are not democratic and are against the personal freedom of an individual. The association notes that the number of people using Internet will drastically go down. This might lead to the closure of browsing centres.

Balaji of SurfWorld, a cyber cafe at Rajaji Nagar, feels that the new rules will not work. We are asked to keep a track of the details of every user, the time of their logging in and logging out. But those who have criminal intentions can always come up with fake records, he feels.

Ban on pornography

He says the Government should impose a ban on pornographic sites the youngsters always seek to view privately. This will considerably reduce the number of dubious users and people will not mind being transparent. "Most of the youngsters who visit the cafe are hesitant to provide their personal details as they feel embarrassed," Mr. Balaji notes.