Home > News > New India Law Criminalizes Online Adult Content • Bookmark   • Newsletters   • Register Search Options

NEWS STORY

New India Law Criminalizes Online Adult Content

New India Law Criminalizes Online Adult Content
Get XBIZ News
XBIZ Research
Should governments have the power / ability to stop content piracy? (e.g. SOPA / PROTECT IP)
Yes
  45.22%
No
  45.22%
Undecided
  9.57%
Out of 230 votes. Results based on votes submitted by members of XBIZ.net social network.
Monday, Dec 29, 2008    Text size: 
NEW DELHI — A new law in India makes browsing or downloading adult pictures or films a crime punishable by five years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000 on first offense, going up to seven years on a second offense.

Raid: The Information Technology (Amendment) Bill was passed without debate by parliament last week. It treats providers of adult material and recipients in the same manner and gives wide powers to authorities, including giving inspectors the right to raid and arrest an accused without a warrant.

Websites that automatically open with adult images that remain on a computer's hard drive would be sufficient reason for an inspector to arrest and prosecute the user.

Another section of the bill provides for any government agency to interrupt, monitor or decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.

One section of the bill is titled "punishment for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually explicit act, etc. in electronic form." If any suspect images are found on a computer, the owner is required to establish that those depicted are not children to avoid conviction.

Introducing any "contaminant" in a computer or network is outlawed under the category of "cyber terrorism" in the bill and could lead to life imprisonment, since the bill says "such conduct causes or is likely to cause death or injuries to persons or damages to or destruction of property." The bill does not explain how a computer crime could cause death or injuries.

"Cyber terrorism" also includes other acts of "terrorism" committed electronically including threatening the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India, to strike terror on the people or to access computer sources that are restricted for reasons of security of the state or foreign relations.

The bill also provides for punishment with a jail term of up to three years and a fine for sending any information — that is grossly offensive, has menacing character or is known to be false — for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will, or any electronic mail or message meant to cause annoyance or inconvenience, or to deceive or mislead the addressee or recipient.

Identity theft — to misuse a person's electronic signature, password or any other unique identification feature or impersonation in electronic activity — are punishable with a three-year imprisonment and a fine of up to $2,500.

Thefts of computer source codes and programs also are outlawed in the bill.

More ways to get XBIZ News:  RSS Feeds  |  E-Newsletters  |  Desktop Widget  |  Mobile
Looking for porn star news and behind-the-scene videos? Check out XFANZ.com !

BUSINESS ANALYSIS

Traffic: Taking a Look at the Stats

Traffic is everything to ecommerce website operators, so it’s vital to understand how the current traffic pie is being sliced, and how adult fits in. The short course is that the once dominant American... More »

Getting By in a ‘Gimme Free’ World

It’s no secret to content based Internet marketers that online consumers today want everything for free. While it’s great to be able to make content sales, such as an adult paysite membership,... More »

Search for Quality Traffic

While much has been made about the number of people using social networks today, with traffic hungry mainstream and adult website operators sitting up to take close notice, research is showing that most... More »
XBIZ NEWSLETTERS
Stay informed of the latest industry developments. Get XBIZ newsletters delivered to your inbox. Subscribe today!
Enter email address:

* To manage existing subscriptions click here.






POPULAR PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Submit your press release to
multiple news outlets with 1 click.
Subscribe to RSS news feeds or
add free content to your website.
Access XBIZ news and articles
with your mobile device.
XBIZ World™, the industry's leading technology journal, provides in-depth coverage of company news, market trends, growth sectors, and international news in the online, mobile and ancillary sectors - get it today!

UPCOMING EVENTS

XBIZ London Gathering

Feb 23 - Feb 23
Truckles Wine Bar in Holborn

Adult Entertainment Virtual Convention

Feb 24 - Feb 26
World Wide Web

The European Summit

Mar 05 - Mar 08
Barcelona, Spain

International Lingerie Show

Mar 26 - Mar 28
Las Vegas, Nevada
Everyday thousands of business professionals browse XBIZ's industry directory for quality products and services. Not listed yet? Your company could be losing potential new business. Submit your company today!
Use XBIZ RSS feeds to stay informed of the latest industry developments or as a content syndication tool for your website!