The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on November 11, 2025, issued SOP to Curb Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) Content Online.
The following has been stated:
It has released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure swift and uniform action against the online dissemination of Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) content. Issued in compliance with a Madras High Court directive dated July 15, 2025, which aims to provide clear and victim-centric procedures for the swift removal of such objectionable content and to ensure the effective implementation of Rule 3(2)(b) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
The SOP provides a victim-centric framework for the removal of intimate or morphed images shared without consent and mandates that intermediaries take down such content within 24 hours of reporting.
The SoP outlines multiple reporting avenues for victims, including One Stop Centres, intermediaries’ grievance officers, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), and local law enforcement agencies. It mandates that Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs) deploy hash-matching and crawler technologies to prevent re-uploads of similar content. The initiative establishes strong inter-agency coordination between MeitY, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for monitoring, takedown, and blocking of flagged URLs.
It is aimed at empowering victims—especially women—the SOP strengthens mechanisms for digital safety, privacy, and dignity online, reinforcing the government’s commitment to creating a secure and accountable cyberspace.
The Standard Operating Procedure to Curtail Dissemination of Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) Content is available online.
[Release ID: 2188886]
