Chat Room Safety

Are Social Networking Sites safe?

Social networking sites are ideal places to interact with people with tastes and attitudes just like yours. However, it is important to be careful about the personal information shared with anyone. The chances of misusing this information are high due to the anonymity that these sites offer. Misuse of personal information can lead to identity theft, harassment and cyber bullying. In case you are threatened by anyone, the matter must be reported to a trustworthy adult or it can also be reported online on this website.
Remember that these are antisocial people who are hidden sex offenders up till now and they work hard to create a rift between you and your family. They might send you gifts to gain your trust and confidence and later refer explicitly to sexual material.

What are the dangers of Teen Sexting? How to be a responsible Online and Cell-Phone Communicator?

• The act of sending messages that are sexually explicit or photographs through electronic media, majorly through cell phones, is sexting. This is not uncommon and is being increasingly used by teens.
• The development and advancements in technology has enabled new forms of social interactions and this has resulted in sexting. Photos and videos can be exchanged easily and more openly and leave greater impacts. The major danger here is that material can be easily and widely spread and the originator has no control over this.
• Teenagers, under pressure from peers, friends and also adults, are increasingly falling prey to sexting. It often results in widespread propagation among friends, family and colleagues. This leads to harassment, blackmail and embarrassment.

As per the Information Technology Act, Section 67

Anyone who transmits, publishes or causes the publication of any material that reveals overtly sexual content or encourages excessive interest in sexual matters or it intends to corrupt or deprave people who are likely to see, read or hear it shall be imprisoned for up to five years with a fine extending up to Rs. one lakh on first conviction. On being convicted for the second time, the imprisonment may extend up to ten years with fine up to two lakhs.

Further the Indian Penal Code section 292, whosoever,

(a) Distributes, sells, lets to hire, publicly exhibits or circulates in any manner, or for purposes of sale, distribution, hire, circulation, public exhibition or produces, makes, or has any book, paper, pamphlet, drawing figure or representation with obscene content or any obscene object in his possession, or
(b) Conveys, imports, exports any obscene object for any of the purposes mentioned earlier, or knowing or believe for a reason that such object will be distributed, sold, let to hire or exhibited in public or in any manner put into circulation, or
(c) receives profits or part of profits from a business in which any obscene objects are used for any of the reasons mentioned above, purchased, made, kept, made, exported, imported, conveyed or exhibited in public or put into circulation in any manner, or
(d) makes it known by any method or advertises that someone is engaged in or is willing to engage in any act that offends the rules under this section, or that an obscene object can be obtained from or through any person, or
(e) Attempts or offers to do any act that is an offence under this section shall receive punishment 140 (with imprisonment extending up to two years with a fine of Rs. two thousand when convicted for the first time and if convicted for the second or subsequent time, the imprisonment may extend up to five years and the fine may be up to Rs. five thousand).

Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that if you get involved in sexting in any way you are an offender. Take responsibility and think of the consequences, advice your colleagues, peers and also other young members of the family.