Right to Privacy of women and children in cyberspace: Legal Frameworks and challenges for protection against cybercrime and surveillance

This research paper analysis the legal frameworks and determined challenges in safeguarding the right to privacy of women and children from cybercrimes and digital monitoring in cyberspace in India. The paper examines prevailing legal provisions, which includes the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and the recently enacted Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. The study deals with the particular susceptibilities of women and children in context to online threats such as sexual harassment, cyber stalking, and without consent transmitting of private intimate images. The paper recognizes important key challenges, involving the cross-jurisdictional nature of cybercrime, absence of digital literacy, and the fast growth of technological developments that frequently overtake legal provisions. To conclude, it recommends policy solutions and legal improvements to reinforce protecting measures and guarantees a harmless digital environment for the women’s and children’s. The study suggests strong recommendations to fortify Indian cyber legal framework, highlighting the requirement of vigorous legislation to protect women and children in this digital world.