By Laura

It’s no secret that India is one of the fastest-growing digital economies in the world. There are more than 907.4 million internet users in the country in 2023, according to Cisco’s report.

With this thriving online landscape comes numerous risks, however. The Indian government is now facing challenges in regulating the web to ensure that all its users are safe.

Can India Learn From the USA?

Indian regulators may be tempted to look to methods used in the West and replicate them. The internet has been booming in the USA since the mid-2000s, and the country is well ahead in many of its strategies. One recent piece of news suggests that the North American nation is still figuring some things out itself, though.

According to PIA’s blog post, Louisiana recently mandated that pornography sites visitors will now be required to identify themselves. This has been done with the intention of preventing children from accessing adult material. The problem is it raises questions about people’s privacy when browsing the internet.

Many experts disagree with this approach to policing the internet, regardless of whether it comes with good intentions. It has been referred to as a “recipe for disaster” and something that Indian officials should bear in mind when coming up with their own policies.

Struggle to Combat Cybercrime

There’s no doubt that India will need to analyze what has worked well in the west and implement it. Collecting identification from users may not be the best approach, but there are other ways to combat cybercrime and make sure the web is a safe place for everyone.

According to a study by the National Crime Records Bureau reported by ResearchGate, India witnessed a staggering 44,546 cybercrime incidents in 2019, an increase of 63.5 percent from the previous year. Almost half of these incidents were related to financial fraud. This is bad news for online companies who want customers to trust that their payment details are safe with them.

Another frightening statistic is that India ranks second globally in terms of the number of cybercrime victims. Indeed, 47 percent of the population has fallen prey to cybercrime at some point.

Time to Act

It’s clear that India needs to act now, before the internet balloons further and becomes harder to control. That’s why it has regulators working on various strategies.

The Reserve Bank of India recently introduced several measures to enhance cybersecurity in the financial sector. These included mandatory cybersecurity audits for all banks and stricter guidelines for online payments.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has also brought in several measures to protect consumers' privacy, such as the requirement for telecom operators to seek consent from customers before collecting their personal data.

The rapid growth of India's digital economy has brought many benefits to its citizens, but it has also created new challenges around online privacy and data protection. There are lessons to be learned from the west in terms of what does and doesn’t work. If India is to be a thriving digital landscape, its regulators need to act now. [GP/JS]