Section 66A of ITA, 2000 : Section 66A: Punishment For Sending Offensive Messages Through Communication Service, Etc

Bare Act

66A Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc - Any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device,

• (a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or
• (b) any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device;
• (c) any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages,

shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine.

Explanation - For the purposes of this section, terms "electronic mail" and "electronic mail message" means a message or information created or transmitted or received on a computer, computer system, computer resource or communication device including attachments in text, image, audio, video and any other electronic record, which may be transmitted with the message.

Simplified Act

Simplified Explanation of Section 66A of The Information Technology Act, 2000

If a person uses a computer or any electronic device to send messages that:

• (a) are extremely rude or threatening,
• (b) are known to be lies and are sent to upset, harm, or intimidate someone, or to cause problems, insults, or hatred, and this is done repeatedly, or
• (c) are meant to annoy someone or trick the recipient about who sent the message,

that pers...

Explanation using Example

Let's consider a hypothetical scenario. John is an individual who often uses social media platforms. One day, he decides to send a series of false messages about his former employer, Company XYZ, to several of his contacts. These messages contain false information stating that the company is involved in illegal activities, even though John knows this isn't true. His intention is to cause annoyance and inconvenience to his former employer, and potentially harm the company's reputation.

In this scenar...