This is Set 15 of 40 in the smartvidya question bank on the Information Technology Act, 2000, with the latest amendments and rules. Part V: Offences. This set covers Section 66A and its striking down, violation of privacy and cyber terrorism.
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Set 15: Sections 66A, 66E and 66F: Offensive Messages, Privacy and Cyber Terrorism
1. Section 66A of the IT Act dealt with
(a) child pornography
(b) punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service
(c) identity theft
(d) cyber terrorism
Ans. (b) punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service — Explanation: Section 66A was inserted in 2009. [Ref: Section 66A]
2. In Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2015), the Supreme Court
(a) struck down the entire IT Act
(b) struck down Section 69A
(c) struck down Section 66A as unconstitutional
(d) upheld Section 66A
Ans. (c) struck down Section 66A as unconstitutional — Explanation: The Court held Section 66A violated Article 19(1)(a) and was not saved by Article 19(2). [Ref: Shreya Singhal (2015)]
3. The Supreme Court decided Shreya Singhal v. Union of India on
(a) 26 January 2015
(b) 24 March 2017
(c) 15 August 2015
(d) 24 March 2015
Ans. (d) 24 March 2015 — Explanation: The judgment was delivered on 24 March 2015. [Ref: Shreya Singhal (2015)]
4. Section 66A was struck down mainly because its terms such as "grossly offensive" and "menacing" were
(a) applicable only to Government
(b) vague and over-broad, with a chilling effect on free speech
(c) well defined
(d) too narrow
Ans. (b) vague and over-broad, with a chilling effect on free speech — Explanation: The Court found the vague terms violated free speech. [Ref: Shreya Singhal (2015)]
5. Section 66A was formally omitted from the IT Act by
(a) the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023
(b) the Finance Act, 2017
(c) the DPDP Act, 2023
(d) the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008
Ans. (a) the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 — Explanation: The Jan Vishwas Act omitted Section 66A with effect from 30 November 2023. [Ref: Section 66A (omitted)]
6. In People's Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (2022), the Supreme Court directed that
(a) no person should be prosecuted under Section 66A, and existing references to it should be removed from pending cases
(b) Section 66A be revived
(c) Section 66A apply only to journalists
(d) Section 66A cases continue
Ans. (a) no person should be prosecuted under Section 66A, and existing references to it should be removed from pending cases — Explanation: The Court was concerned that police continued to register cases under the struck down section. [Ref: PUCL v. Union of India (2022)]
7. Capturing, publishing or transmitting the image of a private area of any person without consent, violating privacy, is an offence under
(a) Section 66E
(b) Section 67
(c) Section 66C
(d) Section 72
Ans. (a) Section 66E — Explanation: Section 66E deals with violation of privacy. [Ref: Section 66E]
8. The punishment under Section 66E is imprisonment up to
(a) one year
(b) three years, or fine up to ₹2 lakh, or both
(c) life
(d) seven years and fine
Ans. (b) three years, or fine up to ₹2 lakh, or both — Explanation: Section 66E prescribes these punishments. [Ref: Section 66E]
9. Under the Explanation to Section 66E, "private area" means
(a) a person's house
(b) a person's bank account
(c) a person's mobile phone
(d) the naked or undergarment-clad genitals, pubic area, buttocks or female breast
Ans. (d) the naked or undergarment-clad genitals, pubic area, buttocks or female breast — Explanation: The Explanation defines private area. [Ref: Section 66E, Explanation]
10. Cyber terrorism is defined and punished under
(a) Section 69
(b) Section 66E
(c) Section 70
(d) Section 66F
Ans. (d) Section 66F — Explanation: Section 66F deals with cyber terrorism. [Ref: Section 66F]
11. The punishment for cyber terrorism under Section 66F is
(a) fine up to ₹10 lakh
(b) imprisonment up to three years
(c) imprisonment up to seven years
(d) imprisonment which may extend to imprisonment for life
Ans. (d) imprisonment which may extend to imprisonment for life — Explanation: Section 66F(2) prescribes imprisonment up to life. [Ref: Section 66F(2)]
12. Under Section 66F(1)(A), cyber terrorism includes acts done with intent to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India or strike terror by
(a) posting criticism of the Government
(b) sending spam e-mail
(c) denying access to authorised persons, attempting unauthorised access, or introducing a computer contaminant, causing death, injury, damage to property or disruption of essential supplies
(d) creating a fake profile
Ans. (c) denying access to authorised persons, attempting unauthorised access, or introducing a computer contaminant, causing death, injury, damage to property or disruption of essential supplies — Explanation: Section 66F(1)(A) lists these acts and consequences. [Ref: Section 66F(1)(A)]
13. Under Section 66F(1)(A), adversely affecting critical information infrastructure is
(a) a contravention under Section 43
(b) a civil wrong only
(c) one of the consequences that makes an act cyber terrorism
(d) not relevant
Ans. (c) one of the consequences that makes an act cyber terrorism — Explanation: Critical information infrastructure is expressly mentioned. [Ref: Section 66F(1)(A)]
14. Under Section 66F(1)(B), knowingly or intentionally penetrating a computer resource without authorisation to obtain restricted information concerning the security of the State, with reason to believe it may be used to cause injury to India's interests, is
(a) cyber terrorism
(b) identity theft
(c) violation of privacy
(d) a civil contravention
Ans. (a) cyber terrorism — Explanation: Section 66F(1)(B) covers data espionage of this kind. [Ref: Section 66F(1)(B)]
15. Which is the only offence under the IT Act punishable with imprisonment for life?
(a) Child pornography under Section 67B
(b) Identity theft under Section 66C
(c) Cyber terrorism under Section 66F
(d) Hacking under Section 66
Ans. (c) Cyber terrorism under Section 66F — Explanation: Section 66F carries life imprisonment. [Ref: Section 66F(2)]
16. A person secretly records a video of a woman changing clothes and uploads it. The IT Act offences attracted include
(a) Section 66F only
(b) Section 43A only
(c) Section 65 and Section 66B
(d) Section 66E and Section 67A
Ans. (d) Section 66E and Section 67A — Explanation: Violation of privacy and transmission of sexually explicit material both apply. [Ref: Sections 66E and 67A]
17. In Shreya Singhal, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of
(a) none of the IT Act provisions
(b) Section 66A
(c) Section 69A and the Blocking Rules, 2009
(d) Section 118(d) of the Kerala Police Act
Ans. (c) Section 69A and the Blocking Rules, 2009 — Explanation: The Court upheld Section 69A with its safeguards. [Ref: Shreya Singhal (2015)]
18. In Shreya Singhal, the Supreme Court read down Section 79(3)(b) to mean that an intermediary must act on
(a) a court order or a notification by the appropriate Government or its agency
(b) anonymous complaints
(c) any complaint from any user
(d) media reports
Ans. (a) a court order or a notification by the appropriate Government or its agency — Explanation: "Actual knowledge" was read to mean a court order or Government notification. [Ref: Section 79(3)(b); Shreya Singhal (2015)]
19. Consider: (i) Section 66A was struck down in 2015. (ii) Section 66A was formally omitted in 2023. Which is correct?
(a) Only (i)
(b) Only (ii)
(c) Both (i) and (ii)
(d) Neither (i) nor (ii)
Ans. (c) Both (i) and (ii) — Explanation: Both statements are correct. [Ref: Section 66A]
20. The maximum punishment under Section 66A before it was struck down was
(a) fine only
(b) imprisonment up to three years and fine
(c) seven years
(d) life imprisonment
Ans. (b) imprisonment up to three years and fine — Explanation: It carried up to three years with fine. [Ref: Section 66A (struck down)]
21. Under the Explanation to Section 66E, "under circumstances violating privacy" means circumstances in which a person can have a reasonable expectation that
(a) he is a public figure
(b) he is in a public place
(c) he is being filmed with consent
(d) he could disrobe in privacy without being concerned that an image of his private area was being captured, or that any part of his private area would not be visible to the public
Ans. (d) he could disrobe in privacy without being concerned that an image of his private area was being captured, or that any part of his private area would not be visible to the public — Explanation: The Explanation sets this test. [Ref: Section 66E, Explanation]
22. Assertion (A): Section 66A cannot be used to prosecute anyone today. Reason (R): It was declared void in Shreya Singhal and later omitted from the Act.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A — Explanation: The reason explains the assertion. [Ref: Section 66A]
23. Section 66F was inserted by
(a) the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008
(b) the original Act
(c) the UAPA
(d) the Jan Vishwas Act
Ans. (a) the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008 — Explanation: Cyber terrorism was added by the 2008 amendment with effect from 27 October 2009. [Ref: Section 66F]
24. Which offence under the IT Act requires an intent to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India?
(a) Tampering under Section 65
(b) Cyber terrorism under Section 66F
(c) Identity theft under Section 66C
(d) Violation of privacy under Section 66E
Ans. (b) Cyber terrorism under Section 66F — Explanation: This specific intent defines cyber terrorism. [Ref: Section 66F]
25. Section 66E applies to a person who intentionally or knowingly
(a) shares news
(b) captures, publishes or transmits the image of a private area of any person without consent
(c) criticises the Government
(d) uses another's password
Ans. (b) captures, publishes or transmits the image of a private area of any person without consent — Explanation: Section 66E deals with privacy of the body. [Ref: Section 66E]
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Next: Set 16. See all sets under the label IT Act. For exam preparation, attempt the full set before checking answers and revise the topic of every question you miss.
These questions are prepared for practice from the Information Technology Act, 2000 as amended (including the 2008 amendment, the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 and the DPDP Act, 2023), the IT Rules, 2021 with amendments up to 2026, and the CERT-In Directions. Check the latest notifications from MeitY before relying on any detail.