Description

Women Rights, Law and Justice
Editor: Prof. Dr. Yogesh Kumar Gupta
Published by Universal Academic Books Publishers and Distributors,
New Delhi (India)
ISBN: 978-81-686113-2-0, 2026

Chapter 36

Cyber Crimes Against Women: Strengthening Legal Protection in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Anjali
Research Scholar, Department of Law, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India.

Akanksha
Research Scholar, Department of Law, MMH. College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Abstract

The fast development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has reshaped the digital environment, providing numerous possibilities to innovate as it has also made possible advanced types of cybercrime. Women are now among the most susceptible people to the AI-enhanced cyber crime, such as deepfake pornography, cyberstalking, identity theft, voice cloning, online harassment, sextortion, and online impersonation. These crimes are against the right of women to privacy, dignity, reputation and autonomy and lead to extreme psychological, social and economic impacts. By critically analyzing the novelty of AI-led cyber crimes committed against women and considering the sufficiency of an existing legal system in India, this paper assesses these issues. It compares the protection rights of Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21 in the Constitution of India, the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Additional judicial rulings, uncovered gaps in the legal framework, and obstacles like the lack of AI-specific laws, issues in assigning criminal liability, cross-border regulation, and digital forensics are also discussed in the paper. It also ends by providing a set of recommendations to protect women within the emerging AI-driven digital world including extensive legal changes, strengthening institutional capacity, platform responsibility, digital literacy, and inter-country collaboration.

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Crimes Against Women, Online Gender-Based Violence, Privacy and Digital Rights.

1. Introducation

1.1. Background of the Study

One of the most disruptive techs of the twenty-first century is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which has greatly impacted communication, trade, government, healthcare, education, and law enforcement. The proliferation of AI-based technologies, such as generative AI, machine learning, facial recognition, and voice synthesis technologies has transformed the digital ecosystem by making it more efficient and innovative. But, along with these advantages, AI has also ensured that cybercriminals have new opportunities to perpetrate advanced crimes at a much faster rate, anonymously, and with much more accuracy. Misuse of AI has led to the ability to produce realistic deepfakes images and video, voice cloning, automated phishing, identity theft and other types of cyber-based crimes becoming even harder to detect and monitor.