Cybercrime Volunteers Program
The Ministry of Home Affairs’ “cybercrime volunteers” plan targets to rope in around 500
persons to flag unlawful content on the Internet for “improvement in the cybercrime ecosystem of
India”.
• The program will include 200 “cyber awareness promoters” and 50 “cyber experts”, according to
the output outcome monitoring framework of the MHA’s budget 2021-22.
o The output outcome framework developed by the NITI Aayog was adopted in 2019-20
budget to define and evaluate government schemes below ₹500 crores in terms of outcomes.
Analysis:
• Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has been established under the Ministry of Home affairs
(MHA) to act as a nodal point at the National level in the fight against cybercrime.
• One of the important objectives of I4C is to create an ecosystem that brings together academia, industry, the public, and government in the prevention, detection, investigation, and prosecution of cybercrimes.
• I4C has envisaged the Cyber Crime Volunteers Program to bring together citizens with a passion to
serve the nation on a single platform and contribute to the fight against cybercrime in the country.
• Good Samaritans are welcome to register as Cyber Crime Volunteers in the role of Unlawful Content
Flaggers for facilitating law enforcement agencies in identifying, reporting, and removal illegal /
unlawful online content.
• Any citizen can register herself under one of three categories: ‘Cyber Volunteer Unlawful Content
Flagger’, ‘Cyber Awareness Promoter’, and ‘Cyber Expert’.
o Volunteer shall not be entitled to any monetary benefits or Identity Cards/Designation etc., at
present or in the future.
o Volunteers are strictly prohibited from using the name of the Ministry of Home Affairs or claim to
have an association with the Ministry of Home Affairs on any social media or public platform.
• In general, content that violates any law in force in India. Such content may fall under the following broad
categories:
oi. Against sovereignty and integrity of India
o ii. Against defence of India
o iii. Against Security of the State
o iv. Against friendly relations with foreign states
o v. Content aimed at disturbing Public Order
o vi. Disturbing communal harmony
o vii. Child Sex Abuse material
Mandate of I4C
o To act as a nodal point in the fight against cybercrime.
o Identify the research problems and take up R&D activities in developing new technologies and
forensic tools in collaboration with academia/research institutes within India and abroad.
o To prevent misuse of cyberspace for furthering the cause of extremist and terrorist groups.
o Suggest amendments, if required, in cyber laws to keep pace with fast-changing technologies and
International cooperation.
o To coordinate all activities related to the implementation of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties
(MLAT) with other countries related to cybercrimes in consultation with the concerned nodal
authority in MHA.
• The I4C is a seven-pronged system, which includes:
o National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit.
o National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.
o Platform for Joint Cybercrime Investigation Team.
o National Cybercrime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem.
o National Cybercrime Training Centre.
o Cybercrime Ecosystem Management Unit.
o National Cyber Research and Innovation Centre.
• The MHA had unveiled its National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal where citizens can report any kind
of cyber-crime irrespective of the place where it has occurred through the website.
• Under the National Cyber Research and Innovation scheme, ₹9 crores will be provided to
institutions to solve the problems of law enforcement agencies, the budget document said.
• The government has perhaps forgotten the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision to strike down Section
66A of the Information Technology Act on the grounds that the grounds for criminalising online
speech were vague and overbroad