The Maharashtra government has passed a Bill amending certain provisions in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to better protect women from online harassment and misuse of digital content.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday introduced the Bill to address the rising problem of cybercrime and the misuse of social media and other digital platforms.
The amendments also include changes similar to those in rape and molestation cases, clearly stating that the identity or name of victims cannot be revealed. On the same lines, the identity of acid attack victims cannot be revealed or published in any form.
Expansion to Digital Crimes
Under the new provisions, the law explicitly covers crimes committed through modern communication methods, including social media, email, mobile phones, and other digital platforms.
Sending obscene or offensive messages via these channels will now be treated as a criminal offence.
The amendments make the law stricter for crimes against women online, including the following –
– Threatening to upload or share a woman’s photos or videos without her consent, including fake or edited (morphed) images or videos.
– Spreading sexual content or showing such material.
– Using the internet to defame women, damage their reputation, or misuse their name or photos.
– These measures are designed to tackle modern challenges such as deepfakes and digitally altered content.
Objective of amendments
The government stated that these changes will enhance protection for women from online abuse, harassment, and privacy violations, while enabling police to take action more effectively.
