Online safety to be cornerstone of cyber law

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Online safety and security, one of the top concerns of the modern world, will be the focus of the proposed cybersecurity bill that is right now in the works as the Centre sets out to define what constitutes online fraud and the various parameters of cyber safety, rescuing the entire domain from the IPC that was drafted three years after the Sepoy Mutiny but is often invoked to handle online offence.

The Economic Times has reported that this bill would be a part of/supplement to the comprehensive Digital India Bill that would define what constitutes cybercrime and what transgressions could label one as a cybercriminal.

MeiTy has reportedly entrusted Management Development Institute in Gurugram and Cybersaathi Foundation of Supreme Court advocate N S Nappinal to detail out the finer points of the proposed Cybersecurity Bill. Two meetings have already been held to brainstorm over the legislation. One meeting took place in February and another one in July.

The next meeting is slated for September. However, the legislation is yet to reach the drafting stage. In fact, the government is yet to decide whether the matter will be shaped into a new legislation or whether it will be a part of the Digital India Act, which is supposed to replace the IT Act that was legislated at the turn of the century. It is also supposed to set down how technology will be regulated.

Towards the beginning of the current year, the Centre held consultations for the Bill that was yet to reach the drafting stage. In the Digital India Bill, the Centre might spell out the “out of bound” areas for companies. It would also try to address growing new-age cybercrimes such as distribution of child porn.

“It is important to have objective parameters. Most of the penal provisions for all things related to cybersecurity are currently drawn from the Indian Penal Code. While that will continue to remain, there must be provisions defined for specific cases as well,” said a senior government official who wished to remain anonymous.