IT Act panel moots new section <br>to curb child porn</br>

NEW DELHI: The expert committee on Amendments to IT Act 2000 has recommended stiff penalties against the use of IT to capture and spread pornographic materials.

The committee, set up in January this year, also proposed the incorporation of a new section to address child pornography with higher punishment.

The panel report said, “A new phenomenon of video voyeurism has emerged in recent times where images of private area of an individual are captured without his knowledge and then transmitted widely without his consent thus violating privacy rights. This has been specifically addressed in a new proposed sub-section.”

The committee, headed by Brijesh Kumar, secretary, Department of Information Technology, revisited and some amendments were provided to ensure data protection and privacy. It recommended an “additional section for breach of confidentiality with intent to cause injury to a subscriber.”

The section relating to obscenity in electronic form has been revised to bring it in line with the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other laws, but the fine has been increased because of the ease of electronic operations.

With a view to allowing public-private partnership in e-governance delivery of services, the committee has proposed some amendments in the IT Act 2000.

The emergence of electronic evidence as a new discipline for handling computer-related offences and its uses thereof in the judiciary has been recognised through a new provision in the IT Act 2000.

Apart from the IT secretary, the paned comprised Kiran Karnik, president Nasscom; legal experts Vakul Sharma and A.K. Singh; IT Industry representatives Ajay Chaudhry, chairman, HCL Infosystems Ltd., R. Ramaraj, MD and CEO, Sify Ltd. and Ajit Balakrishnan, CEO, Rediff India Ltd.; Dr. A.K. Chakravarti, adviser, DIT and Antony De Sa, joint secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.