3 weeks ago
Doxxing and data leaks threaten India's digital dignity
In India, people now use their phones for almost everything, like paying for street food or using government websites.
Every tap and click leaves behind clues about you, called a digital footprint.
Some bad people steal those clues and share private things like your address or phone number with everyone on the internet, which is called doxxing.
Others use clever computer tools to make fake pictures and voices that look completely real—those are called deepfakes.
Sometimes big companies lose lots of people's private information, and criminals sell it on secret websites.
India made a new law called the DPDP Act to make companies keep personal data safe.
But the law does not clearly call doxxing or cyber-stalking crimes, so police find it hard to catch the bad people.
The article says India needs new laws with tough punishments, websites that remove harmful posts within 24 hours, and school lessons about staying safe online.
Protecting our information is as important as protecting our bodies, because digital rights are human rights.
Doxxing—the malicious publication of private data such as phone numbers, addresses and financial information—is increasingly used against journalists, activists, women and marginalized voices.
Deepfake technology allows bad actors to synthesize realistic non-consensual explicit images or fake audio clips within minutes.
Corporate and institutional data breaches exposing Aadhaar details, medical records and bank account numbers routinely flood underground forums.
The DPDP Act is primarily a civil data protection law, and India still lacks explicit criminal statutes defining doxxing or cyber-stalking, forcing reliance on generic provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The article urges reforms including codifying cyber offences, mandating 24-hour emergency takedowns, building cyber forensic capacity and institutionalizing digital literacy.
- Who
- Everyday Indian citizens, particularly journalists, activists, women and marginalized voices, are targeted by online harassment; the article is written by a former OSD to the Union Civil Aviation Minister.
- What
- Escalating threats of doxxing, deepfakes, coercive extortion and systemic data leaks, alongside calls to strengthen India's legal framework for digital privacy.
- Where
- India.
- When
- Not explicitly stated; the article describes current threats emerging amid India's rapid digital transformation.
- Why
- Because hyper-connectivity has left personal data vulnerable, and existing laws such as the IT Act of 2000 are ill-equipped to address modern online harms.
Key facts
- Core threats
- Doxxing, deepfakes, coercive extortion schemes and systemic data leaks
- Key law
- Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and its subsequent operational rules
- Older law
- Information Technology (IT) Act of 2000
- Leaked data types
- Aadhaar details, medical records, bank account numbers
- Legal gap
- No explicit criminal definition of doxxing or cyber-stalking; reliance on generic Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions
- Targeted groups
- Journalists, activists, women and marginalized voices
- Proposed reforms
- Codify cyber offences, 24-hour emergency takedowns, cyber forensic capacity building, digital literacy education
- Key principle
- Digital rights are human rights; personal data belongs to the 'Data Principal'
Quotes
Justice K S Puttaswamy (Retd)
Retired Supreme Court judge and former constitution‑conservation advocate
“"Digital rights are human rights. In an era where a person’s digital footprint is nearly inseparable from their physical existence, safeguarding cyber privacy is essential to protecting constitutional liberty."”
thehansindia.com
“"Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say"”
thehansindia.com









