Do you think that the Virtual private networks need regulation to check the occurrence of cybercrime in the country? Comment (200 Words)
Refer - Business Line
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 3 years
KEY POINTS
· The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) directions to virtual private network (VPN) service providers are significant.
· VPN is used to hide location as well as encrypt information being transferred between the sender and receiver. This can be the data of an enterprise sent over a cloud network and storage, or two individuals exchanging files.
· The big worry for security agencies across the world is that VPNs allow criminals to transmit data without the fear of getting their IP addresses traced.
· For example, law enforcement agencies in Europe banned a VPN service provider last year after it was discovered that cybercriminals were using the platform.
· For example, a user in India can use VPN and pretend to be a Netflix subscriber in the US to watch content that may be restricted in this country.
· However, VPN also helps companies, government agencies, and individuals encrypt data transmitted over the internet. It prevents any snooping and information tapping by external sources while the data is in transit.
· For instance, The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 ( IT rules) announced in February 2021 puts in a framework that brings in transparency in terms of the responsibilities and duties of the internet intermediaries including Twitter and Facebook.
