You’re being watched!

Forget dark roads and deserted corners such as the Mumbai mill that recently turned a crime scene for rape; even the most popular places in metropolises are unsafe, even in broad daylight and the apparent absence of human danger.

The old Hindi saying, “deewaron ke bhi kaan hote hain”, can now be tweaked thanks to the technology — the walls have voyeur’s eyes now. After reports surfaced that passengers getting cosy aboard the Delhi Metro found their videos online, it turns out that videos of unsuspecting couples visiting shopping malls, public parks, cinemas, elevators and ATM enclosures, too, have made it to YouTube.

These MMS clips, in fact, take from where the Delhi Metro videos end. On the landing page of the Metro videos, video clips of couples getting intimate inside malls, buses, popular city hangouts and cyber cafes pop up in the “suggested watching” list. While the couples who indulge in PDA (public display of affection) remain blissfully unaware about their romance having hit social media, online channels, too, are doing little to control their proliferation.

“There is no automatic system with YouTube which identifies uploading of such videos and then removes it from the channel. Unless and until someone reports it, no action can be taken,” says Kislay Chaudhary, a cyber expert.

Unclear cyber security laws only worsen the scenario. “India’s cyber security system is still new. We have been exposed to the virtual world too soon without much security. The government is now taking some steps to improve the law (66E, IT Act 2008), which has loopholes that leave little scope for action,” says Dhruv Sol, another cyber expert.

While some of these clips are the result of leaked CCTV footage, others have been shot by cellphone perverts on the prowl. “Family values are changing, people have a ‘chalta hai’ attitude. One releases all their pent-up stress by indulging in such activities,” explains psychologist Arti Anand.

There is no automatic system with YouTube which identifies uploading of such videos and then removes it from the channel. Unless and until someone reports it, no action can be taken
Kislay Chaudhary, cyber expert

Family values are changing, people have a ‘chalta hai’ attitude. One releases all their pent-up stress and negativity by indulging in such activities
Arti Anand, psychologist

It’s just sick. I don’t think this country is safe anymore. Who knows, you go to the bathroom at some place and the next day, you’re on YouTube, relieving yourself under public glare
Jannani Rajan, DU student

Places where PDA videos of couples have been shot...
Popular malls in Saket, Vasant Kunj, Gurgaon, Noida, Rajouri Garden, Kirti NagarPublic parks such as Central Park, Connaught Place, Lodhi Garden, Buddha Jayanti park, Japanese Park, Rohini, Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri
ATM enclosures, buses, cyber cafes, cinemas, elevators