The Information Technology Act, India's main law on cybercrime and electronic commerce, was passed in:

The Information Technology Act was passed by Parliament in 2000 and came into force on 17 October 2000.

Why the Act was passed:

• It was based on the Model Law on Electronic Commerce adopted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in 1996.
• It was needed to give legal recognition to electronic transactions and to deal with crimes committed using computers and the internet.

Main features of the IT Act:

• Legal recognition of electronic records and digital signatures.
• Electronic filing of documents with government agencies.
• Regulation of certifying authorities that issue digital signature certificates, under the Controller of Certifying Authorities.
• Defining cybercrimes, such as hacking, data theft, identity theft and cyber terrorism, and laying down penalties.
• Appointment of adjudicating officers and a Cyber Appellate Tribunal.

The 2008 amendment:

• The IT (Amendment) Act, 2008 added new offences, such as cyber terrorism, identity theft and child pornography.
• It added Section 66A, which punished sending offensive messages through communication services.
• It introduced Section 69, which allows the government to intercept, monitor or decrypt information in the interest of national security.
• It introduced Section 79, which gives "safe harbour" protection to intermediaries such as social media platforms.

Shreya Singhal case (2015):

The Supreme Court struck down Section 66A as unconstitutional because it violated freedom of speech and was vague.

Rules under the Act:

• The IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 regulate social media platforms and digital news media.
• The government can block websites under Section 69A.

CERT-In:

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is the national agency for responding to cyber security incidents, under the IT Act.

Data protection:

The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 now deals with the protection of personal data.

Why not the other options?

• ✗1998 and 2004 do not match.
• ✗2008 is the year of a major amendment, not the original Act.