Beware of Creating Fake Web Ids!

Techtree News Staff, Oct 04, 2007 1709 hrs IST

However, if the government gets to have its way, the proposed new 'Section 66A' will make perpetrators of such activities liable to punishment of up to two years of imprisonment.

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In a bid to save the Draft Information Technology (IT) Act of 2006 from its 'toothless tiger' reputation, the government is planning on a new clause that will make the furnishing of fictitious information on the Internet a 'punishable offence'.

Typically, providing false information on the Internet to get new or alternate email ids on the same Web site is common practice -- especially so, since most email service providers refuse to provide two ids to one and the same person.

However, if the government gets to have its way, the proposed new 'Section 66A' will make perpetrators of such activities liable to punishment of up to two years of imprisonment.

Not only that, all clauses applicable under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for similar such offences will automatically become applicable to the offenders.

Information regarding fake email identities will be established with the help of Internet service providers and IP addresses. However, it will remain up to investigating agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Crime Investigation Department (CID) to establish that a person is using false or misleading information on the Internet.

Currently, the Department of Information Technology is in the process of reviewing the draft Information Technology (IT) Act 2006, and has sought feedback on proposed changes from all its stakeholders.

USER COMMENTS

Don?t our Law makers have better work to do??? They should start focusing on our Traffic problems. Hey how 'bout making a law forcing pedestrians to actually walk on the Side walk!

by Sandheep, Bangalore, on Oct 04, 2007 09:44 PM, Report abuse Reply

provided there are sidewalks to walk on!

by phildavi, Bangalore-560016, on Oct 07, 2007 05:55 PM, Report abuse

This is an unnecessary exercise since in the event of a crime, IP address can be used to rack the offender irrespective of which e-mail ID is used. Secondly, where a good ID is required for the transaction, users can use Digital Certificates. The proposition if true is therefore redundant and likely to cause inconvenience to a huge number of ordinary net users. The proposal mentioned in the article was not in the draft which was in public domain until recently. I am not sure if this is correct...Naavi of Naavi.org

by Naavi, Bangalore, on Oct 05, 2007 11:57 AM, Report abuse Reply

Net Nannysm again!!.This is alarming trend.the govt need not dictate how people use internet. Fake ids are ,in most cases used to protect our privacy.Can the govt guarantee my privacy,no,never.I usualy put "XYZ" on my address field,because I simply dont trust any of those website.Even if it is a trusted site, it is internet.The address we are sending can be intercepted easily by any packet sniffers and be used in highly targeted phishing scams.Once more I say.Cant I have my right to protect my privacy in this bad world of internet???

by Ajit Vincent, tvm, on Oct 04, 2007 06:54 PM, Report abuse Reply

Looks like the laws are made by a bunch of IDIOTS, lawyers and politicians who don't even know the basics of, what internet is, or how internet works !!!!. They think internet is a 'thing' coming out of the state run BSNL 2mbps 'peanut'band. The so called high tech cyber-wing of police are a disaster all over India.They are only able to solve a fraction of the cases,which they give maximum publicity.They pick constables and SI's,most of the time commerce or arts graduates,or in best case chemistry graduates ,from regular police training camps and give them 'training'.The training is ,how to install the software tools that cdac gives, and click here and there and viola! get the deleted files from recycle bin, or in best case scenario , how to mail the isp's to get the info of ip address.

by Ajit Vincent, Kerala, on Oct 04, 2007 07:13 PM, Report abuse

Thaks for your good reply,these law makers even dont know the basics .

by Vibhav, delhi, on Oct 05, 2007 11:44 AM, Report abuse

Any budy has right to make email id and i think government first try to learn all the computer procees then impose all the laws ,this law will not work in any part of the world.

by Hellow, Hellow, on Oct 05, 2007 11:40 AM, Report abuse Reply

Why not make the internet unlawfull, imprison everyone for life for using it.

by maxaxe, chennai, on Oct 05, 2007 10:54 AM, Report abuse Reply

This is outrageous. These guys are insane. It will destroy the privacy of internet. Technically, user's anonymity is its only refuge to privacy in this free medium. Both freedom as well as privacy of users is important and such foolish laws be thrown to dustbin along with its creators.

by iamfake, jhumri talaiya, on Oct 04, 2007 08:21 PM, Report abuse Reply

Never heard about such a stupid plan in my life..advisors in the government doesn't even know the basics of Internet and web it seems. Anyway there are much more pressing problem in India for those people to bother than think about internet identity, this is nothing but waste of time

by Sumit, Bangalore, on Oct 04, 2007 08:19 PM, Report abuse Reply

What about brininging in legislation for Privacy protection.. eh?

by Shubhojeet, Delhi, on Oct 04, 2007 07:51 PM, Report abuse Reply

Really! This is very interesting. So, they need this information to find out the perpetrators of a crime I presume and apparently without this information they can't find the person. So, if I create an id with false information, how will the govt. find me to arrest me? Or hasn't the govt. thought about this little problem?

by adi, dallas, on Oct 04, 2007 06:48 PM, Report abuse Reply

This is quite interesting;Many of web users procure email ids with different information.And if this is going to be true then most of the web users would be forced to abandon using web/ or use only one email id.If the agencies find users having more than one email id with fake information,many of the users will be prosecuted.This kind of act is more disadvantageous than remaining as a fruitful experience.

by R.MOHAN VADIVEL, SECUNDERABAD, on Oct 04, 2007 06:18 PM, Report abuse Reply

sure this happens but we should consider the person who has very short memory will often forget pass word this will not be usefull

by saiashok, coimbatore, on Oct 04, 2007 06:31 PM, Report abuse