The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Cyber law compliance: assistance at hand

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 11, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Cyber law compliance: assistance at hand

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, FEB.10. Most cyber cafe owners and bloggers are unaware that they can be pulled up under the Information Technology Act for either directly publishing obscene material or abetting it.

It is punishable under Section 67 of the Act and carries a sentence of up to two years imprisonment and Rs. 2 lakhs as penalty.

The Cyber Society of India (CSI), registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, has come up with a cyber law compliance certification programme for cyber cafes and online publishers to help maintain "due diligence" of the Act.

While the Maharashtra and Karnataka State Governments have laws for cyber cafes such as the maintenance of a customer registry and photographing them, such regulations are not in place here.

CSI representatives who met mediapersons on Wednesday to announce the launch of the certification programme, said that cyber law experts would conduct audits on the functioning of cafes and websites and assist them in setting up systems of compliance.

The former Chief Vigilance Commissioner and patron of CSI, N. Vittal, said that the recent scandal in Delhi regarding the circulation of pornographic clips through the Internet, called for closer monitoring of cyber space.

The director of Cyber Law School, N. Vijayashankar, said that it would be a big step if those using the Internet became aware of the laws.

He added that it would be better if cyber cafe owners set up stringent norms before legislations were passed.

"Surely, women will feel intimidated going to cyber cafes if the laws want all customers to be photographed. We have to look at less intrusive ways of maintaining a customer registry."

For more information, log on to www.cybersocietyofindia.org.

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