About Morphing

Morphing is altering or changing thepictures of the person using morphing tools available online. Younggirls and women usually fall prey at the hands of the onlinecriminals, who use their photographs posted online and misuse theseimages by changing the pictures.

The altered pictures are then used byperpetrators for blackmailing you, creating fake online profile,sexting, sex chats, pornographic content, nude pictures etc.,

Why should we be concerned?

Morphing can damage your onlinereputation and cause emotional trauma, you can be prone to threatsfrom perpetrators and may fall prey to their attempts at blackmailingyou.

How can we safeguard ourselvesagainst such offense?

Morphing can cause social stigma andcan have damaging effect on you. It is therefore important tounderstand the measures that can help you stay safe.

Enable your security and privacyfeatures on social media accounts

Never share your personal picturesonline publicly on social media accounts

Use watermark while sharingpictures

Use two factor authentication withstrong passwords for your social media accounts.

Save the evidence and the screenshots for referring to the incident later.

Don't suffer in silence, knowthat you are not alone, reach out and seek help from trusted familyand friends.

If you observe your fake profile orany such objectionable post on social media, report on the socialmedia help centre about it.

What is the action to be taken incase we are affected by this offense?

Register a complaint at yournearest cyber crime police station

b) You also have the option toregister an online complaint on cybercrime.gov.in anonymously also.

Report about it to the social mediaaccount help centre

Know about what the law says withregard to this offense?

Morphing may based on the context ofthe incident attract the following sections as per IT ACT.

The Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 (amended in 2008)

Section 66E– Punishment for violation of privacy

This section covers the transmission of images of "aprivate area of any person without his or her consent". Thepunishment for the same is imprisonment for three years or with finenot exceeding two lakh rupees, or with both. This section isextremely important as Right to Privacy has been recently held to beguaranteed as a fundamental right and protected under the Right toLife in Part III of the Constitution of India, in the landmarkjudgment in Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) and Anr. V. Union ofIndia and Ors.3 Sharing of any content that would be a breach to theprivacy of a person, therefore, would also be violating Article 21 ofthe Constitution of India.

Section 67 -Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscenematerial in electronic form

This section deals with the publishing or transmitting of obscenematerial (described as "any material which is lascivious orappeals to the prurient interest or if its effect is such as to tendto deprave and corrupt persons"). The punishment on firstconviction is imprisonment up to three years and with fine of fivelakh rupees, and subsequent convictions to be punished withimprisonment up to five years and fine which may extend to ten lakhrupees.

Section 67A- Punishment for publishing or transmitting ofmaterial containing sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form

The section punishes publishing or transmitting of material whichcontains sexually explicit act or conduct. The punishment on firstconviction is imprisonment up to five years and fine up to ten lakhs.Since the Bois Locker Room incident involved sharing of morphedimages of girls, the present section is applicable.

Section 67B- Punishment for publishing or transmitting ofmaterial depicting children in sexually explicit act, etc., inelectronic form

The present section on first conviction provides punishment ofimprisonment up to five years with fine up to ten lakhs.

This section covers not just the depiction of children in sexualacts or conduct, but the creation or distribution of any digital textor images that depicts children "in obscene or indecent orsexually explicit manner".

It is pertinent to note that the present incident involves sharingof obscene or private images of minor girls. Therefore, the presentsection can also be recourse. Further, many of the comments anddiscussions also might fall within the ambit of this section.

Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012

Section 14 and 15 – Child pornography

Under section 14(1), the use of a child or children forpornographic purposes is punishable with imprisonment up to fiveyears along with fine. Further, under section 15 storage ofpornographic material involving a child with the intention ofdistributing it is punishable by imprisonment of up to three years orwith fine or both.

Indian Penal Code

Section 354D – Stalking

This section was added to the IPC vide the Criminal Law AmendmentAct, 2013. The amendment act of 2013 was brought after the notoriousgang rape and murder of victim Jyoti Singh, known as the Nirbhayacase4 , and introduced a set of amendments to the IPC, includingsection 354D.

Section 354D(b) includes "monitoring the use by a woman ofthe internet, email or any other form of communication".Therefore, collecting pictures of girls from their social mediaprofile would be covered under this section. The section provides fora punishment of up to three years and a fine upon conviction.

Section 463, 465 and 471 – Forgery

Section 463 defines forgery, wherein any person who "makesany false documents or false electronic record or part of a documentor electronic record, with intent to cause damage or injury"commits forgery. Section 465 provides punishment for forgery, whichis imprisonment of up to two years or fine, or both. Further, section471 covers the usage of forged documents or electronic record asgenuine, and carries the same punishment as forging such a document.

Digital alteration of a photograph would fall within the ambit ofmaking false electronic record.

Section 509 – Word, gesture oract intended to insult the modesty of a woman

Outraging of the modesty of a woman is a section which isfrequently used in consonance with other sections of IPC involvingsexual assault. In State of Punjab v. Major Singh, it was held thatwhen any act done to or in the presence of a woman is suggestive ofsex according to the common notion of mankind, such an act would becovered under this section. Messages passing lascivious comments uponthe physique or body of the girls whose images were circulated in thegroup can be covered under this section. The punishment providedunder this section is imprisonment upto one year, or fine or both.

Section 499 and 500 – Defamation

Defamation can be taken recourse to by the victims in this case.Section 499 IPC requires that either making or publishing allegedlydefamatory statements about a person in the form of other words orwriting or visible representations which have the capability ofharming a person's reputation along with the intention for the same.Therefore, men's reason to cause harm to the reputation is a sine quanon for an offence under this section. The victims, if they chose to,can take recourse under the present section. Section 500 IPC providesthe punishment for defamation which is simple imprisonment for a termof upto two years or with fine or both.

Source: https://www.infosecawareness.in/concept/morphing/women