Arushi Sharma, SLS Noida & Shivanshi Gupta, Jindal Global Law School, OP Jindal University
ABSTRACT
Indians are not only the largest internet users in the world, but also the greatest in the world in terms of sexual harassment. In many ways, the harassment that women experience online parallels what they experience in the real world. Feminism in India performed a survey and found that 50 percent of women in major Indian cities have been subjected to internet abuse. People are being targeted by cyberstalkers at an alarming rate. According to experts, men and women are equally likely to be the victims of cyberstalking. The term "cyberstalking" refers to the practise of utilising the internet or other electronic media to harass or stalk another person. An email, social media, chat apps, or other online media might be used by a stalker in cyberstalking. A stalker may harass a person by posting messages, photos, or information about them online. Tracking location and online activity may also be used by some. Cyberstalkers may not physically pursue the victim, but they do so in a cyberspace environment. Emotional abuse and harassment are carried out via electronic media by cyberstalkers, who use a wide range of technological and digital tools in their attacks. Real-life scenarios, on the other hand, have a lot more room for error. Few laws, but no specific law, are available to deal with cyberstalking in India such as the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Information Technology Act, 2000. The stalking law needs to be rethought in order to avoid cyberstalking. Sharing information with others is a must, but so is self-awareness. They necessitate a high degree of privacy awareness. This paper will try to understand the criminological perspective through theories, analysis of UK and Indian Laws and try to find out why the Indian Legislation is not enough in reducing such crimes.
Keywords: cyberstalking, Information Technology Act; Indian Penal Code, 1860; Criminology Theory.
