The Information Technology Act, 2000

The The Information Technology Act, 2000, with its 123 sections listed below.

Act number

21 of 2000

Year

2000

Published by

India Code · Government of India

Edition

India Code source edition; cover states: 27th June, 2025

Sections

• 1. Short title, extent, commencement and application
• 3. Authentication of electronic records
• 3A. Electronic signature
• 4. Legal recognition of electronic records
• 5. Legal recognition of 1[electronic signatures]
• 6. Use of electronic records and 1[electronic signatures ] in Government and its agencies
• 6A. Delivery of services by service provider
• 7. Retention of electronic records
• 7A. Audit of documents, etc., maintained in electronic form
• 8. Publication of rule, regulation, etc., in Electronic Gazette
• 9. Sections 6, 7 and 8 not to confer right to insist document should be accepted in electronic form
• 10. Power to make rules by Central Government in respect of 1[electronic signature ]
• 10A. Validity of contracts formed through electronic means
• 11. Attribution of electronic records
• 12. Acknowledgment of receipt
• 13. Time and place of despatch and receipt of electronic record
• 14. Secure electronic record
• 15. Secure electronic signature
• 16. Security procedures and practices
• 17. Appointment of Controller and other officers
• 18. Functions of Controller
• 19. Recognition of foreign Certifying Authorities
• 21. Licence to issue 1[electronic signature] Certificates
• 22. Application for licence
• 23. Renewal of licence
• 24. Procedure for grant or rejection of licence
• 25. Suspension of licence
• 26. Notice of suspension or revocation of licence
• 27. Power to delegate
• 28. Power to investigate contraventions
• 29. Access to computers and data
• 30. Certifying Authority to follow certain procedures
• 31. Certifying Authority to ensure compliance of the Act, etc
• 32. Display of licence
• 33. Surrender of licence
• 34. Disclosure
• 35. Certifying authority to issue 2[electronic signature] Certificate
• 36. Representations upon issuance of Digital Signature Certificate
• 37. Suspension of Digital Signature Certificate
• 38. Revocation of Digital Signature Certificate
• 39. Notice of suspension or revocation
• 40. Generating key pair
• 40A. Duties of subscriber of Electronic Signature Certificate
• 41. Acceptance of Digital Signature Certificate
• 42. Control of private key
• 43. Penalty and compensation ] for damage to computer, computer system, etc
• 43A. Compensation for failure to protect data
• 44. Penalty for failure to furnish information, return, etc
• 45. Residuary penalty
• 46. Power to adjudicate
• 47. Factors to be taken into account by the adjudicating officer
• 48. Establishment of 1[Appellate Tribunal]
• 49. [Composition of Cyber Appellate Tribunal.]
• 50. [Qualifications for appointment as Chairperson and Members of Cyber Appellate Tribunal.]
• 51. [Term of office, conditions of service, etc., of Chairperson and Members.]
• 52. [Salary, allowances and other terms and conditions of service of Chairperson and Members.]
• 52A. [Powers of superintendence, direction, etc.]
• 52B. [Distribution of business among Benches.]
• 52C. [Power of Chairperson to transfer cases.]
• 52D. Decision by majority
• 53. [Filling up of vacancies.]
• 54. [Resignation and removal.]
• 55. Orders constituting Appellate Tribunal to be final and not to invalidate its proceedings
• 56. [Staff of the Cyber Appellate Tribunal.]
• 57. Appeal to 2[Appellate Tribunal]
• 58. Procedure and powers of the 2[Appellate Tribunal]
• 59. Right to legal representation
• 60. Limitation
• 61. Civil court not to have jurisdiction
• 62. Appeal to High Court
• 63. Compounding of contraventions
• 64. Recovery of 3[penalty or compensation]
• 65. Tampering with computer source documents
• 66. Computer related offences
• 66A. [Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc. ]
• 66B. Punishment for dishonestly receiving stolen computer resource or communication device
• 66C. Punishment for identity theft
• 66D. Punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource
• 66E. Punishment for violation of privacy
• 66F. Punishment for cyber terrorism
• 67. Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form
• 67A. Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material containing sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form
• 67B. Punishment for publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually explicit act, etc., in electronic form
• 67C. Preservation and retention of information by intermediaries
• 68. Power of Controller to give directions
• 69. Power to issue directions for interception or monitoring or decryption of any information through any computer resource
• 69A. Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any computer resource
• 69B. Power to authorise to monitor and collect traffic data or information through any computer resource for cyber security
• 70. Protected system
• 70A. National nodal agency
• 70B. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team to serve as national agency for incident response
• 71. Penalty for misrepresentation
• 72. Penalty for Breach of confidentiality and privacy
• 72A. Penalty] for disclosure of information in breach of lawful contract
• 73. Penalty for publishing 2[electronic signature] Certificate false in certain particulars
• 74. Publication for fraudulent purpose
• 75. Act to apply for offence or contravention committed outside India
• 76. Confiscation
• 77. Compensation, penalties or confiscation not to interfere with other punishment
• 77A. Compounding of offences
• 77B. Offences with three years imprisonment to be bailable
• 78. Power to investigate offences
• 79. Exemption from liability of intermediary in certain cases
• 79A. Central Government to notify Examiner of Electronic Evidence
• 80. Power of police officer and other officers to enter, search, etc
• 81. Act to have overriding effect
• 81A. Application of the Act to electronic cheque and truncated cheque
• 82. Controller, Deputy Controller and Assistant Controller to be public servants
• 83. Power to give directions
• 84. Protection of action taken in good faith
• 84A. Modes or methods for encryption
• 84B. Punishment for abetment of offences
• 84C. Punishment for attempt to commit offences
• 85. Offences by companies
• 86. Removal of difficulties
• 87. Power of Central Government to make rules
• 88. Constitution of Advisory Committee
• 89. Power of Controller to make regulations
• 90. Power of State Government to make rules
• 91. [Amendment of Act 45 of 1860.]
• 92. [Amendment of Act 1 of 1872.]
• 93. [Amendment of Act 18 of 1891.]
• 94. [Amendment of Act 2 of 1934.]

For research. Check the official gazette and later amendments before citing a section.