Parl panel calls for comprehensive ‘gender-sensitive’ law to combat cybercrime | India News

NE Delhi: Reflecting on the sharp rise in cybercrime against women and children over the years, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the government should initiate a structured and time-bound study to enact a “comprehensive and gender-sensitive cybercrime law”.In its report on “Cyber ​​Crimes and Women’s Cyber ​​Security” presented in Parliament on Monday, the Committee on Empowerment of Women recommended the introduction of age-appropriate regulations and calibrated usage limits on social media platforms to protect children and adolescents from adverse psychological effects and safety-by-design standards to ensure responsible digital engagement.It highlighted that NCRB data reflects a nearly 239% increase in cyber crimes against women between 2017 and 2022 and a multifold increase in cases involving children, indicating the seriousness of the situation.The significant increase in such crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic reflects heightened digital dependence. The National Cyber ​​Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) has reported over 2.48 lakh complaints against women and children between 2019 and April 2025.The committee, chaired by BJP Lok Sabha MP Dr D Purandeshwari, said the sharp rise in complaints recorded in the NCRP indicated growing awareness as well as institutional action. However, it also noted the phenomenon of under-reporting driven by fear, stigma and limited digital literacy, particularly among young girls, rural women and socio-economically vulnerable groups.The report is based on inputs from cyber experts from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Cyber ​​Peace Foundation, an NGO, CDAC and social media intermediaries (Google and Meta).The committee highlighted that cybercrime affecting women and children is currently addressed through a number of laws including the Information Technology Act, 2000; Indian Justice Code, 2023; POCSO Act, 2012; and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986 “These provisions collectively cover a wide spectrum of crimes. However, their diffuse nature often results in overlapping mandates, interpretive ambiguity, uneven application and procedural delays,” it said.Against this backdrop, it emphasized the need for a comprehensive cybercrime law, which complements and harmonizes existing laws rather than casually replacing them.The committee called on digital platforms, especially social media, messaging and hosting services to be held to higher accountability standards. Additionally, it strongly recommended that mandatory KYC-based verification be introduced across all social media, dating and gaming platforms to curb the menace of fake profiles, impersonation and anonymous harassment.“Platforms must conduct periodic re-verification and maintain high-risk flags for accounts reported for repeated abuse. Strict licensing rules and age-verification protocols must be established for dating and gaming apps, with penalties for platforms that fail to protect women and minors from deceptive or coercive practices.”