<p class="bodytext">A series of incidents over the past few weeks has highlighted the importance of stricter laws to curb filming people in public without their consent, say activists. Last week, two women in an autorickshaw noticed a man pointing his phone camera at them while they were stuck at a traffic signal. The man was riding pillion and was likely working with the rider. They in turn recorded the men and posted the evidence on social media.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Advocate Indra Dhanush notes that it amounts to voyeurism (section 77), stalking (section 78), and insulting modesty (section 79) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. It can also attract Section 66 (E) of the IT Act, he adds. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Recently, Dhanush was approached by two young women who were being followed and recorded by a group of men over a period of two weeks. “We approached the cops and the men were arrested. They spent two nights in jail,” he recalls. He adds that a year ago, a woman consulted him after she was filmed by a news channel without her knowledge, when she was in an inebriated condition on New Year’s Eve. </p>.Civic activists warn of clutter and safety risks as hoardings return to Bengaluru.<p class="bodytext">Last year, a number of Instagram accounts were suspended for posting voyeuristic videos of women in public spaces.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Incidents like this bring into focus how women do not have a place in public spaces, says Priya Varadarajan of Durga India, a women’s rights NGO. “When women occupy a public space, they are considered public property,” she says. She notes that bystander action is of utmost importance in situations such as this. The NGO conducts workshops on bystander action to enable regular people to stop or de-escalate situations that threaten one’s safety or privacy in public spaces. </p>.<p class="bodytext">When dealing with victims of public space violence and online harassment, the organisation prioritises their mental health, and then helps them file a complaint with the cybercrime department. They also conduct group therapy sessions for victims, Priya shares.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While there are laws governing such violations, more stringent and well-defined laws are the need of the hour, says a women’s rights activist. She cites a recent example of a friend who was stalked online after someone saw her in a restaurant and overheard her name from a conversation she was having with her dining companions. “He then looked her up online and started leaving offensive comments on her Instagram posts,” she recalls. </p>.<p class="bodytext">However, Tanveer Hasan, who works with Centre for Internet and Society, believes that the focus should be on social behaviour, rather than on the law. “Sure we can bring in more laws, but it would be more pragmatic to influence social behaviour by organising more campaigns, awareness drives, orientation programmes and publishing more research about the adverse effects of irresponsible use of technology,” he explains. </p>
<p class="bodytext">A series of incidents over the past few weeks has highlighted the importance of stricter laws to curb filming people in public without their consent, say activists. Last week, two women in an autorickshaw noticed a man pointing his phone camera at them while they were stuck at a traffic signal. The man was riding pillion and was likely working with the rider. They in turn recorded the men and posted the evidence on social media.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Advocate Indra Dhanush notes that it amounts to voyeurism (section 77), stalking (section 78), and insulting modesty (section 79) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. It can also attract Section 66 (E) of the IT Act, he adds. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Recently, Dhanush was approached by two young women who were being followed and recorded by a group of men over a period of two weeks. “We approached the cops and the men were arrested. They spent two nights in jail,” he recalls. He adds that a year ago, a woman consulted him after she was filmed by a news channel without her knowledge, when she was in an inebriated condition on New Year’s Eve. </p>.Civic activists warn of clutter and safety risks as hoardings return to Bengaluru.<p class="bodytext">Last year, a number of Instagram accounts were suspended for posting voyeuristic videos of women in public spaces.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Incidents like this bring into focus how women do not have a place in public spaces, says Priya Varadarajan of Durga India, a women’s rights NGO. “When women occupy a public space, they are considered public property,” she says. She notes that bystander action is of utmost importance in situations such as this. The NGO conducts workshops on bystander action to enable regular people to stop or de-escalate situations that threaten one’s safety or privacy in public spaces. </p>.<p class="bodytext">When dealing with victims of public space violence and online harassment, the organisation prioritises their mental health, and then helps them file a complaint with the cybercrime department. They also conduct group therapy sessions for victims, Priya shares.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While there are laws governing such violations, more stringent and well-defined laws are the need of the hour, says a women’s rights activist. She cites a recent example of a friend who was stalked online after someone saw her in a restaurant and overheard her name from a conversation she was having with her dining companions. “He then looked her up online and started leaving offensive comments on her Instagram posts,” she recalls. </p>.<p class="bodytext">However, Tanveer Hasan, who works with Centre for Internet and Society, believes that the focus should be on social behaviour, rather than on the law. “Sure we can bring in more laws, but it would be more pragmatic to influence social behaviour by organising more campaigns, awareness drives, orientation programmes and publishing more research about the adverse effects of irresponsible use of technology,” he explains. </p>