Cyber crimes against children in Maharashtra almost tripled from 70 cases in 2019 to 207 in 2020, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau. In a digital era, where both academics and leisure for children are all about smartphones and tablets, online threats are growing but privacy protections for minors in India remain inadequate
Cyber crimes against minors are on the rise as digital tools increasingly become the source for education and entertainment for children. Image credit: iStock
As a parent to an 8-year-old studying in a city school, Shalu Mishra Agarwal worries about what her child might come across on the internet. “When I, as an adult, get distracted by pop-up ads online, it always concerns me about the kind of ads and sites that my child is exposed to,” says the resident of Mumbai’s Malad. “My child’s picture, roll number, address, division, audio-visual content for homework were all there on the digital platforms of the school. The possibilities of such data being misused on social media by opportunists to cause harm to my child and my family really bothered me and sharing the information made me uncomfortable,” she adds.
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