Zero tolerance on anonymity as cover for online crime: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

The government has ‘zero tolerance’ on anonymity being a cover for crimes committed online, and production of evidence during the course of a criminal investigation is an “unambiguous obligation” on intermediaries and players, IT Minister Rajeev Chand­rasekhar said on Tuesday.

He was responding to a question about some VPN providers pulling out servers from India in the aftermath of the new cybersecurity rules introduced recently, even as they have purportedly assured users of continued services.

The minister also said the government was “open” to big tech platforms suggesting an effective self-regulatory appellate mechanism that can offer a “better solution” to resolve grievances raised by social media users, asserting new amendments to social media rules will be finalised before July-end after extensive consultations.