The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to curb the dissemination of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) online. Issued under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the SOP sets out a detailed framework for victims to request the removal of content that exposes their private areas, depicts them in nudity or sexual acts, or uses morphed images without consent.
It specifies multiple channels for filing such complaints, including intermediaries, One Stop Centres (OSCs), law enforcement agencies, and the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). Furthermore, the SOP mandates that online platforms act within 24 hours of receiving a complaint.
In addition, it establishes clear lines of coordination among intermediaries, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to ensure prompt content removal and prevent re-uploads.
Significantly, the release of this SOP follows directions from the Madras High Court. In July 2025, the court instructed MeitY to prepare “a prototype as to what a victim girl must do when faced with situations of dissemination of NCII content”.
The court issued this order after a woman lawyer alleged that someone had circulated her intimate images online without her consent. Consequently, the bench directed the government to establish a uniform, victim-oriented process for redress. Thereafter, MeitY submitted the SOP in October 2025 to the court, after which the case was closed.
Gaps In The Definition Of Harmful Content
According to Siddharth Pillai, a co-founder at the Rati Foundation, which works on reducing online harms for women and underserved communities, parts of the new SOP mark progress but still leave important gaps. Pillai said, “Clarification of the existing 24-hour takedown requirement and Grievance Officer framework is a positive step if not entirely new”.
He added that “the creation of a secure hash-bank under I4C to prevent reuploads is constructive as reuploads have become a sticking issue”, but warned that “these hash-banks must operate under explicit privacy and data-protection safeguards to avoid secondary victimisation”.
However, Pillai raised concerns about how the SOP defines harmful content. “The definition limits harmful content to visible nudity or explicit sexual acts and excludes a wide range of NCII cases such as intimate, suggestive or private photos shared without consent”, he explained. Drawing from their experience at Meri Trustline, he noted that “perpetrators exploit moderation thresholds and use emojis, captions and edits to sexualise victims while avoiding takedown”.
Pillai further cautioned that the SOP’s framing “implicitly limits protection to women and girls, excluding trans and male victims”, calling it “a missed opportunity to include other…
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