Surfing in a cyber cafe. A Telegraph picture

To check cyber crime, Calcutta police on February 23 made it mandatory for cyber cafes to follow a set of norms.

According to the rules, cyber cafes must ask all customers to produce photo identity cards, record their personal details, note the computer they used and store the data for at least six months.

Metro toured cyber cafes across the city to see if the rules were being followed:

Shandar Cyber Zone

71 Jatindra Mohan Avenue, Cal 5

What we saw: The two-storey cafe with seven machines had a register, but the identity card details of 23 of the 24 customers had not been entered. The entries on previous days were also devoid of identity card details.

Cafespeak: “By asking for photo identity cards, we were losing out on customers who do not know the rule or were not carrying such proof. We now let people surf the Internet after noting down their names, addresses and other details,” said an employee.

Energy Infotech

20A Dent Mission Road, Cal 23

What we saw: The small cafe with seven cubicles had several copies of the norms pasted on the walls. However, when a man came in and said he was not carrying any identity proof, a young employee asked him to bring his card next time and let him surf.

Cafespeak: “We ask all customers to produce identity proof, but at times, let them surf even if they are not carrying any,” said Imtiaz, an employee.

Tele Link

113 SP Mukherjee Road, Cal 26

What we saw: The cafe depends primarily on its members. Non-members without any identity proof have to write down their names and contact numbers to use the facilities. The cafe did not have a register.

Cafespeak: “Many customers don’t know the rule. When someone is in serious need, we let them use the computers,” said an employee.

P4 Cyber Cafe

221 APC Road, Cal 3

What we saw: The cafe in a Shyambazar alley did not let anyone even sit inside without producing an identity proof and registering. The rules are pasted on the door and the outside wall.

Cafespeak: “A customer had emailed a threat to the Prime Minister from our cafe. So, from the day the rules came into force, we haven’t allowed a single person to surf without identity cards. Even our friends and relatives have to abide by the rules,” said employee Swarup Bose.

Officialspeak: “If the cyber cafes are not following the norms, strict action will be taken against them,” said Vineet Goyal, the deputy commissioner (headquarters) of Calcutta police.