Cyberstalking - A Felony To The Society
- IJLLR Journal
- 1 minute ago
- 1 min read
Reshma Ranjith, Assistant Professor, School of Law for Women, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan University, Perambalur
Agnes Amala Anitha T, Assistant Professor, School of Law for Women, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan University, Perambalur
ABSTRACT
Cyberstalking, which takes the form of continuous monitoring, harassment, or intimidation via online communication platforms including social media, email, and messaging services, has emerged as one of the most urgent issues of the digital age. Important questions about safety, dignity, and privacy are brought up by the occurrence, especially for woman and children. The Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 are all part of the country’s multifaceted legal system that addresses cyberstalking. The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013 introduced Section 354D of the IPC, which made stalking – including the monitoring of electronic communications – specifically illegal. In order to
maintain consistency and clarity in the recognition of cyberstalking as a criminal offence, this clause has been kept in Section 74 of the BNS. By making identity theft, impersonation, privacy violations, and the transfer of pornographic or sexually explicit content illegal – actions frequently linked to cyberstalking – the IT Act enhances these broad rules. The POCSO Act, which forbids the use of minors in online pornography and criminalizes sexual harassment, offers more robust protections for cases involving minors. Although India has created a thorough legal framework to combat cyberstalking, this paper contends that in order to provide adequate protection in the digital realm, obstacles related to victim awareness, enforcement, and technical adaptability must be addressed.
