Liability of WhatsApp Group Admin: Current position in India

Liability of WhatsApp Group Admin: Current position in India

Blog, Cyber & Technology Laws
Introduction The outreach of social media messaging is increasing exponentially and so are the potential legal ramifications of any imprudent remarks made through such platforms. Recently, a YouTuber from Ludhiana in Punjab was arrested1 for alleged objectionable racial remarks against an MLA (and former cabinet minister) from Arunachal Pradesh. The YouTuber has been booked under sections 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 505(2) (Statements conducing to public mischief) of the IPC in Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh). Without going into the merits of this specific case and other similar cases (involving Twitter or Facebook as the messaging platform) or the constitutional validity of application of sedition law in such cases or the extent of restrictions on free speech under…
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Key Scenarios in which Consumer can file complaint under Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Key Scenarios in which Consumer can file complaint under Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Blog, Consumer Laws
The primary objective of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 is the protection of the interest of the consumers, enforcement of consumer rights and timely and effective settlement of consumer disputes. The Act addresses the constantly emerging vulnerabilities of the consumers considering the newer set of challenges with the emergence of E-Commerce and logistics systems. We have already discussed in detail the new provisions in the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 in our earlier article here. In this article, we briefly discuss on the key scenarios or cases in which consumer can file complaint under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Key Scenarios for Complaints under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 Consumers have right to seek redressal against the unfair, restrictive trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation. Complaints under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019…
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Consumer Protection Act 2019: The Salient Features

Consumer Protection Act 2019: The Salient Features

Blog, Consumer Laws
Introduction – Objective of Consumer Protection Act, 2019 Consumer Protection Act, 2019 (hereafter referred to as the New Act or CP Act, 2019) has come into force effective July 20th, 2020. The 2019 act replaces the erstwhile Consumer Protection Act, 1986. There has been enormous transformation in the business and commerce space in the last three decades. The emergence of e-commerce, digital payment gateways and global supply chains have led to easy access to large variety of goods and services across the globe for consumers. This modernization has also rendered the consumer vulnerable to newer forms of unethical and unfair trade practices. E-Commerce has posed newer set of challenges that required the legislative intervention to enact the laws keeping in mind consumer interest in the modern trade and market conditions.…
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Smart Contracts – The Next Gen Contracts in India

Smart Contracts – The Next Gen Contracts in India

Blog, Cyber & Technology Laws
Introduction Smart contracts are the next generation contracts that deploy automation to execute on their own based on the fulfillment of the pre-defined stipulations of a contract. This is step forward from the traditional contracts and brings in the usage of technology and automated processing in this arena of legal world. In simple terms, Smart contracts are snippets of code on a decentralized network like Blockchain and are automatically executed on fulfillment of certain conditions.  The code for these contacts are written by developers and the programs are made to execute as and when the terms of the agreement are fulfilled. Smart contracts usage can be seen in simple as well as complex agreements. Simple application of smart contract can be seen in case of online registration of property.  More…
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Privacy by Design – Proactive approach in Digital Economy

Privacy by Design – Proactive approach in Digital Economy

Blog, Data Privacy & Protection
Privacy by Design has evolved as the nucleus of the data protection framework being adopted across the world. It is the fundamental pre-requisite towards achieving the goal of developing next generation systems that provide robust protection to the data that these systems handle. It has also become a key element for privacy compliance for the organizations that are processing large volumes of personal data. We believe that - Sanctity of data should be paramount consideration for the growth of digital economy, one that is free and fair and respects privacy of individuals. The key elements that constitute Privacy by Design, its framework and its implementation in the Indian context are discussed below: The Data Element In the current digital world, our reliance on technology and systems has increased manifolds and…
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Phishing Scams: Sophisticated Cyber Crimes in India

Phishing Scams: Sophisticated Cyber Crimes in India

Blog, Cyber & Technology Laws
Digital Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. It is unimaginable to separate digital platforms and interfaces from our daily routine. With the advent of next gen mobile technology innovations for the betterment of our lives, we have the world literally at our fingertips. Technology is changing how we live in the digital and connected world. With these developments the criminals have also become Hi-Tech. Phishing in the cyber world has become bolder, organized and sophisticated from what it was a decade ago. In this article, we discuss on Phishing, its types and variations (including UPI Fraud, Online Job Scams, Online Lottery Scams, Bank KYC and Insurance Scams, Nigerian 419 Scams), how to avoid phishing scams and the legal remedies available for victims of phishing (and UPI…
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