Cyber Cafe owners ordered to maintain identity of users

Panaji, Sep 10 (UNI) The District Magistrate, North Goa District, has invoked section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 prohibiting the use of cyber cafes by persons, whose identity was not established by the owner of the cafes.

It has come to notice that certain criminals/ anti-social elements/ terrorists were using these facilities to mislead the security agencies to create panic among the public, thereby endangering the security of VVIPs and government institutions to launch terrorist activities. It has directly affected the security of the state, according to an official release here today.

The Magistrate also ordered the owners of cyber cafes to strictly comply with the instructions to maintain a register for the identity of the visitor/user, to make an entry in the number and identity proof. The visitor/ user should also sign the register kept for the purpose. The identity of the visitor/ user should be established through an identity card, a voter's card, ration card, driving licence, passport and photo credit card.

The activity server log should be preserved in main server and its record should be preserved for at least six months. If any activity of the visitor is of a suspicious nature, the owner of cyber cafe should immediately inform the nearest police station and record be maintained about the specific computer used by the person.

The order comes into force from today and shall be effective for a period of 60 days upto November 8 (both days inclusive), unless withdrawn earlier, the release added.

UNI