NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has recommended a review of existing cyber laws and has sought stricter laws to protect women from cyber bullying and harassment.
The Commission has proposed harsher penalties for cybercrimes against women and children, penal action for threats to share private and obscene content, a mandatory victim compensation fund and the appointment of district-level psychologists and forensic experts.
In this regard, NCW has submitted its comprehensive report, which includes changes in IT Rules, 2021, Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, Indecent Representation of Women Act, 1986, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and others, to the Union Ministries of Law and Justice, Electronics and Information Technology, Women and Child Development, and Home Affairs.
The Commission also recommended protecting the complainant's identity in cyber offences, including cyberbullying, trolling, deepfakes, and privacy violations, and requiring intermediaries to remove harmful content within 36 hours. These recommendations have been suggested to be brought under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The recommendations, which were the outcome of its year-long national consultation aimed at reviewing and reforming India's cyber legal framework through a gender-sensitive lens, have also suggested longer user data retention (360 days) and stronger protections for victims' anonymity.