Cybercafes across country under strict vigilance

Security tightened for Independence Day; business feels the heat

NEW DELHI: As Independence Day approaches, monitoring of cybercafes has been intensified across the country. An industry source told DNA that a month before August 15, cybercafe owners were directed by the police to be cautious about people using their services.

According to Ashish Sahoo, President, Association of Public ICT Tools Access Providers, the security drill in cybercafes has hit the business a great deal. While cybercafes have been under the scanner for over two years now, the efforts are intensified for special days like Independence Day and Republic Day, a source pointed out.

In the past one year or so, the cybercafe business has been hit drastically in Mumbai says Sahoo.  “From 2,000 outlets earlier, the number has come down to a drastic 600 and 800 in Mumbai,” he said. People are intimidated when identity proof, phone number and personal details are sought, a source said. A café owner in New Delhi told DNA that there are regular meetings between the police and café owners for giving updates and explanations on the people using the facilities.

“Security-related monitoring exercise is meant for “all access points” including STD, PCOs and cellphones. But, the biggest target is the cybercafé. It is the fear of misuse of anonymity at cybercafes that has resulted in an intense monitoring process,” an industry source pointed out.

In many other countries where terrorism is a big threat, there are no identity checks or entry of personal details at cybercafes, an industry representative reveals.

There are an estimated 1.5 lakh  cybercafes in India. As per industry figures, around 30 to 40 per  cent of the Internet access in India is from cybercafes. On the whole, there are over 50 million internet users in India, 29 per cent of which come from Mumbai and 17 per  cent from Delhi.