Derek O’Brien Introduces Bill to Criminalize Online Abuse Against Women

In a significant move towards enhancing online safety for women, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien introduced a private member’s bill aimed at amending the Information Technology Act. The proposed legislation seeks to criminalize violent behavior and abusive acts against women online, particularly those based on religion, caste, or sexuality. O’Brien’s bill proposes stringent penalties for online threats against women, including jail time of up to three years and/or a fine of up to ₹50,000 for first-time offenders, making such offenses cognizable and non-bailable.

The bill emphasizes the penalization of threats of physical, sexual, and emotional violence targeting women on digital platforms. It allows victims to seek legal injunctions within a day to remove offensive content and prevent its retransmission. The legislation covers a broad spectrum of offenses, including physical violence, sexual assault, and the spread of false information, aiming to protect women from being intimidated, discredited, or forced into expressing or withholding opinions.

For repeated offenders, the bill proposes harsher penalties, with imprisonment extending up to ten years and fines up to ₹10 lakh for subsequent violations. The fines collected are intended to be paid as compensation to the victims. This legislative effort underscores the urgency of addressing and curbing the rampant abuse women face online, ensuring a safer and more respectful digital environment.

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