Bollywood star Akshay Kumar shared a personal incident where his daughter received an inappropriate message while gaming online, highlighting the growing cybercrime threat. He called on schools to introduce a weekly “Cyber Period” to teach children about online safety and reporting suspicious behaviour.
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar recently spoke out on the growing threats of cybercrime in India, sharing a deeply personal incident from his own family to highlight the dangers children face online. He revealed how his young daughter, while playing an online video game, received an unsolicited message from an unknown user asking her for nude photographs.
Alarmed by the message, she immediately switched off the game and informed her mother about the incident.
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For the actor, this episode was a
“stark reminder of how easily predators can reach children through seemingly harmless digital platforms.”
Using this personal experience to underline a systemic issue, Akshay Kumar observed that while India already has laws addressing online obscenity and child exploitation, there is no dedicated statutory body or regulatory framework that monitors such threats in real time, especially in areas like online gaming.
He urged the Maharashtra government to introduce a weekly “Cyber Period” in schools for students from classes VII to X. According to him, this initiative would educate children about cyber safety and teach them how to identify and report suspicious behaviour.
“This crime is becoming bigger than street crime,”
he said, stressing that it requires both legal measures and social awareness to be effectively addressed.
The actor’s appeal comes amid increasing reports of online harassment and child sexual exploitation in India.
Existing legal provisions, such as Sections 67 and 67B of the Information Technology Act, 2000, criminalize the publishing, transmission, and solicitation of obscene and sexually explicit material, including content involving minors.
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Complementing this, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, specifically addresses online grooming and solicitation of children, treating such acts on the same level as physical offences.
Despite these strong statutory protections, the absence of a specialized monitoring system or proactive awareness programme often means that authorities can act only after harm has already occurred. Cybercrime, by its very nature, goes beyond physical boundaries.
While traditional policing is effective against street offences, digital platforms, whether gaming apps, chatrooms, or social media, present unique challenges. The anonymity offered online emboldens predators, leaving children particularly vulnerable.
Existing laws empower police and investigative agencies to act once a complaint is filed. However, prevention, as Akshay Kumar highlighted, can only come through education.
A child who is aware of the dangers of online solicitation is better equipped to respond safely and seek help without fear or stigma.
The concept of a “Cyber Period” in schools is not just symbolic. It represents a preventive measure aimed at equipping children with knowledge as their first line of defence.
Much like moral science or value education once taught ethics, cyber education could instil digital resilience, ensuring children navigate online spaces with awareness of both their rights and vulnerabilities.
The actor’s candid admission that the threat reached his own home underscores the pervasive nature of the problem. Cybercrime is no longer limited to isolated news reports—it is a real concern for families across all socio-economic backgrounds.
Akshay Kumar’s call, therefore, is
“not just a plea to government but a reminder that legal provisions, however robust, must be paired with active education and institutional frameworks if India is to meaningfully confront what is now an expanding frontier of crime.”
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