The inception of digital age has abridged the previously existing boundaries of social coherence. It has revolutionised the traditional ways of communication and connection. Individuals can now express and coexist on multiple fronts simultaneously, i.e., physical and cyber spaces. With this expansion of social spaces, the risks and dangers associated with them have also expanded to multiple fronts. Stalking, as we understood it fifty years ago, has transformed into cyber stalking, where perpetrators continuously monitor the internet activity of a victim without moving an inch in the physical space. This article elaborates on the complex world of cyber stalking, explores its disproportionate impact on women, and discusses crucial aspects to combat in our ever-evolving digital lives.

Forms and Tactics

Cyber stalking can be defined as online behaviours directed towards intimidating, threatening, or harassing victims online. Common tactics used in cyber stalking are as follows:

1. Creating fake profiles: Making fictitious accounts on various platforms to interact, follow, and deceive others under dishonest preferences.
2. Monitoring online activity: Perpetrators keep tabs on others to track their movements and record their whereabouts in physical and digital spaces. Some may go to the extent of using spyware and malware.
3. Online harassment: A hallmark of cyber stalking, it often includes communicating threats via online platforms such as email, social media, and messaging services.
4. Doxxing: Perpetrators endanger a victim’s privacy by publishing private or confidential information, such as contact details and addresses. To read more on doxxing, click here.
5. Spreading false information: Perpetrators post defamatory or derogatory content or publish false accusations to damage a victim’s reputation.

While this is a primary classification, the actual act often encompasses a mixture of these tactics. Due to its persistent and digital-only nature, cyber stalking is predominantly treacherous and different from its persistent nature. Further, without physical proximity, it becomes harder for victims to evade and remain disconnected from the Internet.

Cyber stalking is not an act that is aloof from societal norms and issues. The existing gender and power dynamics, along with societal structure paradigms, are reflected in cyber stalking statistics. Various research studies have found that women are the target of cyber stalking in 60 to 80% of situations.

Psychological Toll

In a typical patriarchal society, the acceptance of notions such as the “fault of women themselves“, lack of action due to fear of societal judgment, and often the inability to express themselves makes these silent struggles of survivors go unnoticed and normalised by society. Studies highlight that more than two-thirds of people who face cyber stalking also experience emotional distress. This can often lead to severe and long-term impacts such as:

1. Mental Health: The constant threat to privacy and harassment makes a person susceptible to heightened anxiety levels, depression, deteriorating self-esteem, and loss of feeling of happiness. Moreover, they also have an overwhelming fear concerning their security, which often leads to paranoia.
2. Social Withdrawal and Isolation: To avoid further victimisation and feelings of helplessness, most survivors find themselves isolated from online and offline interactions. This leads to a gradual deterioration of life due to the loss of professional and personal circles.

Legal Framework in India

While multiple provisions of law can apply to cyber stalking cases, Indian laws remain inadequate to fully counter the problem. Relevant laws include the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (formerly the Indian Penal Code, 1860). Keys provisions are:

1. Section 78 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: This provision criminalises stalking and covers online stalking in its scope. It defines stalking as following or contacting a woman without her consent. It provides up to three years of imprisonment on the first conviction and a fine.
2. Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: This provision criminalises acts outraging the modesty of a woman, which can be interpreted to include acts breaching her privacy or personal space, harassment, deepfakes, etc. It provides up to three years of imprisonment on the first conviction and a fine.
3. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021: Issued under the Information Technology Act, 2000, these rules provide for reporting mechanisms on social media platforms. An aggrieved person can report a message, post, or the entire account to the concerned grievance officer of a social media platform.

Regarding reporting mechanisms, an affected person can also seek help from the National Commission for Women (NCW). NCW acts as a forum to address the concerns of women, extending to but not limited to cyber stalking. Then, we have the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at cybercrime.gov.in, which also has a dedicated helpline number at 1930. A dedicated Women’s Helpline is also available at 1091, where one can seek assistance.

Good Cyber Safety Practices: First Step in Building Resilience

Your security on the Internet is in your hands. I have heard this countless times in various workshops I have attended. Previously, my fellow teammates at The Cyber Blog India have prepared various guides to secure different social media accounts. You can go through these security settings to ensure that your information has minimum possible exposure to the public on various social media accounts.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• WhatsApp
• Twitter (X)
• Snapchat
• LinkedIn

Apart from these guides, here are some lessons I have learned from my time at The Cyber Blog India:

• Be careful about what you share on the Internet. Once you share something, absolute deletion is not possible.
• You do not know the intentions of the other person. They are sitting behind a screen, hiding more than you would expect.
• If you have a unique first or last name, a simple Google search can give you a rough idea about your digital footprint. Keep checking it once in a while.
• Google allows you to track sites that mention your name and contact details, such as email and mobile number. Go to account settings and explore this new feature.

Conclusion

“Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons.” ~ R.B. Fuller

While this quote has stood the test of time, cyber stalking is not merely a technological issue. It is a societal crisis demanding immediate and collective action. Every unwanted digital footprint ever created, every threat-carrying message and every girl or woman who chooses to withdraw from online spaces just to save herself represents a failure of our information-driven society.