Noting the complex language of legislations on monitoring the cyber space, a parliamentary panel has criticised the government for not preparing a new set of laws and instead taking a 'short cut route' of making changes in the existing norms.
'The law pertaining to IT should be self-containing and easily comprehensible to the global village community... Despite the experience gained in about seven years in the administration of the IT Law, no effort has been made to bring a new and exclusive legislation,' the Standing Committee on Information Technology said in a report.
The government has taken a 'short cut route' by making changes in existing legislation and relying on existing Acts, it said.
The committee observed that the term 'cyber terrorism' has not been defined anywhere in the IT Act, 2000 or in the proposed amendments. Similarly, 'child pornography' has also not been mentioned anywhere in the section on pornography.
'In view of the several manifestations of sexual abuse of children and its loathsome ramifications, the committee desires that the act of grooming the child for sexual relationship through online enticement or distributing/showing pornography or through any online means should also be made a criminal offence,' it said.
It also called for evolving an omnibus international convention under the aegis of the United Nations for dealing with cyber crimes against India from abroad.
