Women's Privacy in Cyberspace: An Analysis through the Lens of the Indian Knowledge System, Dignity (Maryada), Consent and Contemporary Digital Rights

Author

Atul Singh, Sonali Poddar


Abstract

 Indian women are going online faster than ever, yet their privacy is not keeping pace with their online presence. This paper argues that women's privacy in cyberspace is best understood as relational dignity: the capacity to decide who may see, hold, circulate, and speak about one's person, image, and data. It critically engages with the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) as a plural and contested archive that offers real resources (maryada as boundary and dignity, women as knowing subjects, an ethic of reciprocity) alongside real constraints (protection that slides into control). It then examines digital consent, showing that notice-and-consent is structurally weak for women who share devices, navigate unfamiliar languages, and face coercive relationships. Finally, it reviews the constitutional, statutory, and international framework, including the Puttaswamy judgment, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and Rules 2025, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, and the IT Amendment Rules 2026. Official data show sharply rising access (women's internet use rose from 33.3% to 64.3% between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6) and rising cybercrime (86,420 cases in 2023). The paper closes with a Maryada-informed, rights-based framework and actionable recommendations.


Keywords

women's privacy; cyberspace; Indian Knowledge System; maryada; digital consent; DPDP Act 2023; technology-facilitated gender-based violence; intersectionality



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