Bangalore Police & Cyber Cafe Owners meet

bangalorean — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 06:38:18 -0700

Details of the Meeting held between Bangalore Police & Cyber Cafe Owners held on 25th July 2006 @ 11:45am

The official intimation about the meeting was send to all the cyber cafes in Bangalore just a day in advance stating the venue and timing and purpose "Cyber Crime & Laws".

The meeting started around 11:45am and was addressed by the Commissioner of Police - Mr. Achuta Rao, Dy. Commissioner of Police - Mr. Gopal Hosur and many other Dy. Commissioners related to the field of Information Technology and Cyber Crime Cell.

Mr. Achuta Rao, COP, requested all the cyber cafe owners to follow the guidelines being set by the government and to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations for Cyber Cafe owner's benefit.

Stressed that now a days Bangalore has been susceptible to Terrorist Attacks and one such incident had already taken place at Indian Institute of

Science, Bangalore last year. The recent incidents being taken stock of and the possible grave situation arising out of these kind of attacks.

With possible help from the cyber cafe's to maintain proper records of the browsers there could be a better control as well as after damage management to nail the culprits causing problems in the country.

Mr. Gopal Hosur, DyCOP, gave the brief guidelines as to how the cyber cafe could safe guard themselves from being the scapegoat, by maintaining the said record information in the specified format being already provided to the cyber cafe and the same being made available at all the Police Station for the proforma.

He urged the cafe owners that if they come across any such sneaky characters whom they are suspicious of to let know them to the nearest police station for advance damage control.

He insisted that with the ID proof it would avoid such bad elements coming to misuse the facilities available as well as to track their roots in case of any such events happening which are beyond human control causing huge damage to the public and to the economy.

They made it clear that with cyber cafe owner’s co-operation it was only way possible to track and to bring them to books of law. Now days the Terrorist have taken computers and internet as the latest means of tools of communication equipments to receive and transmit the operation they wish to execute to spoil the peace and harmony in the country.

He insisted that some kind to watch should be kept on the people who are using internet in the cafe as now a days the terrorist are using different methods which are cryptic in nature to exchange code of action of their plans. Any such incidents coming to their notice should immediately bring it to the notice of the nearest police station.

They stated that any cyber cafe failing to comply with the law would face severe punishment like fine of Rs.25,000/= and cancellation of license and possible imprisonment under the suitable laws available in the better interest of the common public of this country.

They insisted any photo ID proof be taken into consideration as ID proof and the details being noted into the specified format being made available along with the signature of the person using the facilities provided in the cyber cafe.

The ID Proofs can be like School ID, College ID, Driving License, Passport, PAN Card, Photo Debit / Credit Card, Voter's ID, Employee ID or any such Photo ID that may give details of the person who is willing to use Internet Access at the cyber cafe.

Those customers who do not have such ID, may be allowed after the details are taken and a snap shot through web cam need to be necessarily stored on the computer for any further requirement without specifying the duration or period of the records to be mentioned.

For regular customer one should get the details filled every time they visit along with the signature as proof of access during the time specifying login and logout time.

They said there is a need for such records for better management and to track the culprits from causing the damage before or after.

They said lots of news about cyber cafe encouraging pornography is coming to their views and lots of complaint on the same has been received that people of younger age are becoming the prey of pornography. Therefore, the cyber cafe should discourage pornography and should not allow users from having an access to such website by installing suitable filters

that would restrict the users from accessing.

They also insisted that any closed cabins should be dismantled and cubicles of suitable visibility be set to prevent from the misuse of the facilities being provided to the customers.

After this there was a Question & Answer Session where they wanted to hear the problems that cyber café owners would like to address.

They identified only 8 people whom they would allow to raise question in this meeting.

Some of the question raised

Q1. Appreciating the rules & regulation of collecting the ID Proof, questioning the authenticity of the ID proof was raised.

Ans. Please follow the rule and collect the ID proof and do not bother the genuineness of the proof as that would be the work of the Police Department.

Q2. The department should ask the big gaints like Infosys & Wipro to develop a suitable software for better management of such issues and provide it to the cyber cafe.

Ans. Probabilities would be worked out and feasibility study would be made and then suitable decision regarding would be taken.

Q3. Collecting ID Proof from the Female Customer would lead to lots of misuse and generally Female Customers refuse to give details forget taking their snap through web cam.

Ans. Make them understand the requirements of law and their commitmennt to abide by the rules and regulations being set to follow in the interest of the nation and the common people.

Q4. The Cyber Cafe's have been given Static IP Address and any hackers can get to know and these bad elements could use IP Address Mapping and scapegoat the cyber cafe.

Ans. Noted and know that there are tools available with the department to track such kind of doings by any such elements and not to bother about but to collect the ID proof and to safe guard their self and their business.

Q5. Let all the cyber cafe have a camera at the entrance like the surveillance camera that would record every person coming and going out the cafe.

Ans. Would be thought upon and the aspects of its implementation.

Q6. When the ISP's can put filters at the Gateway to block access pornography why are the Police asking us to block the access to the pornography and pressuring us to do so.

Ans. could look into the matter and worked out.

Taking the opportunity, I made all the cyber café owners and the Bangalore Police aware that there is already an Association existing since 2003 and one

could become member by going to they http://www.apiap.org/bangalore.

Becoming one not only at the Bangalore level but at the national front would enable the association to address the problem united to the government and its bodies, the problems being faced and any harassment meted.

As the Association already being there on the National Front where it has an experience of these kinds of issues it would be easier to know and understand the things happening in the industry for better control, management and smooth running of the business.

Q8. We are here to do the business and not to do the policing job and moreover policing job is yours while doing business is our concern as already worried about the returns and survival on the investment being made.

Ans. Co-operation and Co-ordination is needed at the hour when we are facing the problem from the bad elements and to exist one needs to help each other to tackle the anti-social and anti-national elements.

The COP insisted that it is a compulsion to maintain the records of the people coming to access Internet and there is no go but to follow as these are the

Guidelines being set by the Cyber Laws and need at this hour to help tackle any problems in a better way. Even if there is a problem or pain in implementing the rule it has to be done and there is no exception.

Cyber Cafe should allow Police for inspection on such records and to access to information as and when required by the respective police authority in their jurisdiction.

Those not complying with the guidelines set by the law would be tackled suitably with a hefty fine of Rs.25,000/= and Cancellation of License and necessary action as laid in the books of law as found suitable in the interest of the common public.

They insisted that the Cyber Cafe obtain License from the City Corporation Office under the Shops & Establishment Act and make available for inspection.

Any guidance and help in regard to can be obtained from the relevant police station coming under their jurisdiction.

Mr. Gopal Hosur, warned the Cyber Cafe owners that now a days there are news coming that theft computers are sold to cyber cafes and the owner should be cautious while buying computers from unknown persons would

complicate the issue and the owners of the cyber café would be booked under suitable law for encouraging such act.

The meeting was concluded with thanks for the positive response shown with such a large number of 800 participants coming sincerely to the meeting and

Joining hands with the Police department in strengthens the vision of curbing the terrorist / anti-social / anti-national elements from causing any further sleepless nights to the common person.

The COP requested that a small tea and snacks being arrange for this meeting being accepted by the participants and take leave from the meeting and thus concluded.

They said these kind of meeting should be arrange in the future where there is a need for the cyber cafe to have an association and to address or voice theirs views and thoughts every now and then in better co-ordination and co-operation.

ApiAp - Bangalore

Bangalore Police & Cyber Cafe Owners meet