Harassment regime unleashed on cyber cafes

Cyber cafes have to keep tabs on customers

As per the new norm, cyber cafe owners must maintain records including the name, address, log in and log off time of users.

Deccan Herald

If cyber cafes go by the rule book from now on, one will have to produce a photo identity card before logging on to terminals. In addition to this, one will also have to spend some time filling up a form giving details to the cafe owner.

With the increasing cases of cyber crimes in Bangalore, the government has served a notice to 531 cyber cafes across the City directing them to maintain details of their clients. The cafe owners are also required to ensure that the customers produce a photo identity card before surfing the web.

The Cyber Crime Police Station, as per the notification issued by the IT, BT & Science and Technology Secretariat, has commenced serving notices to the cyber cafe owners from January 20.

As per the new norms, the owners must maintain records including the name, the address, the log in and log off time of any user or else be open to a penalty of Rs 25,000, if a complaint is lodged against him. However, the police on its own will not inspect Internet parlours. An action will be taken only if a complaint is lodged against a parlour for violating the rules.

According to Deputy Inspector General Of Police (Economic offences) P Ravindranath, 500 more cyber cafes will be issued notices in the coming weeks. The rule is meant to serve as a deterrent for all those who indulge in illegal activities like hacking, sending obscene mails and source-code tampering taking place in the corporate circles.

“We are also thinking of asking the cafe owners to install a web-camera in Internet parlours, so that photographs of users who do not have photo identity cards on them can be taken,” Mr Ravindranath said.

A clause in the rule also makes it clear that information about name, age and address should be written by the user’s own handwriting, making it easier for the authorities to trace the users if a need arises, he added. Asked whether the new rule will restrict viewing of porn sites, Inspector General of Police (Economic Offences) Mahapatra replied in the negative. He said viewing of pornographic sites is not a punishable offence under the Information Technology Act, 2000. However, the verification process might serve as a deterrent of sorts for persons who are hesitant about divulging their identities.

The Cyber Crime Police Station has roped in 100 police stations across the City to implement the rule.

Meanwhile, cyber cafe owners are miffed by the notification that has been thrust on them and are calling it a futile and cumbersome exercise.

Satish G, owner of ‘Cyberia’ on Residency Road, scorned at the whole move and said it was the duty of the police to check crime.

“These rules are merely going to drive the customers away. Anybody who is bent upon committing a crime will simply produce a fake identity card or a passport. So what is the point in framing such rules?” he added.

Another cyber cafe owner, Jammal S also endorsed the above views and added that suggestions like installation of web camera was an expensive and a foolish move on the part of the authorities. “If I were to ask a lady for her photograph, then I would not see her in my parlour again,” said Jammal.

However the corporate cyber cafe outlets like Reliance and Sify were far more accommodating and felt that the move undertaken by cyber crime authorities will be helpful in keeping track of illegal activities.