The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) to strengthen the removal and prevention of Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) content on online platforms. This initiative complies with Madras High Court directions (Writ Petition - Civil No.25017/2025, Order dated 15.07.2025) and aims to provide clear procedures for swift removal of objectionable content within 24 hours of reporting, implementing Rule 3(2)(b) of the IT Rules, 2021.
The SoP provides guidance for victims, intermediaries, and law enforcement, outlining multiple reporting avenues:
* **One Stop Centres (OSCs):** Provide assistance including reporting through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), legal support, and psychological counselling.
* **Intermediaries:** Offer in-app reporting mechanisms and grievance officers.
* **National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP):** Enables reporting online or by dialling 1930.
* **Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs):** Complaints can be lodged at local police stations.
Intermediaries must remove or disable access to flagged content within 24 hours. Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs) must use hash-matching and crawler technologies and coordinate with government portals like Sahyog under MHA - I4C. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs acts as the central aggregator for NCII complaints and maintains a secure NCII hash bank. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) coordinates with Internet Service Providers to block flagged URLs. MeitY monitors compliance.
The SOP is available at https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2025/11/a2c9500ef5f8b62a43bfc68747de592d.pdf. The release was issued on November 11, 2025, at 5:55 PM by PIB Delhi.
Key Entities Referenced
Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) to Curtail Dissemination of Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) Content: Procedure for removing and preventing Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery (NCII) content on online platforms.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY): The ministry that released the Standard Operating Procedure and monitors compliance.
Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021: The rules that the SOP aims to effectively implement, specifically Rule 3(2)(b).
National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP): A portal where individuals can report cybercrime incidents.
Madras High Court: The court whose directions led to the development of this SOP.
Ministry of Electronics & IT
MeitY Issues Standard Operating Procedure to
Curtail Dissemination of Non-Consensual
Intimate Imagery (NCII) Content
SOP to Ensure Swift and Uniform Action Against NCII
Content; Mandates Takedown Within 24 Hours of
Reporting
New SoP Empowers Individuals to Reclaim Control Over
Digital Identities; Reinforces Government’s Commitment to
Privacy, Dignity and Safety in Cyberspace
Posted On: 11 NOV 2025 5:55PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has released a Standard Operating
Procedure (SoP) to strengthen mechanisms for the removal and prevention of Non-Consensual
Intimate Imagery (NCII) content on online platforms.
This initiative, developed in compliance with the directions of the Madras High Court (Writ Petition -
Civil No.25017/2025, Order dated 15.07.2025), aims to provide clear and victim-centric procedures
for swift removal of such objectionable content and to ensure effective implementation of Rule 3(2)
(b) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules,
2021.
Purpose and Scope
The SoP provides detailed guidance for victims, intermediaries, and law enforcement agencies to
ensure prompt and uniform action against the online dissemination of NCII content — including
intimate or morphed images shared without consent. It lays out mechanisms for content takedown
within 24 hours of reporting.
Key Features of the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP)
1. Multiple Reporting Avenues for Victims
One Stop Centres (OSCs): Victims can approach the nearest OSC for assistance, including help
with reporting through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), legal support, and
psychological counselling.Intermediaries: Victims may directly report content through in-app reporting mechanisms,
grievance officers of the concerned intermediaries.
National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP): Enables individuals to report incidents online
or by dialling 1930.
Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs): Complaints can also be lodged at local police stations for
immediate action.
2. Mandatory Timelines for Intermediaries
All intermediaries are required to remove or disable access to flagged content within 24 hours
of receiving a complaint.
Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs) must use hash-matching and crawler
technologies to prevent the reappearance of the same or similar content.
Intermediaries must also report actions taken and ensure coordination with government portals
like Sahyog under MHA - I4C (Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home
Affairs).
3. Inter-Agency Coordination
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs: Acts as the central
aggregator for NCII complaints and maintains a secure NCII hash bank.
Department of Telecommunications (DoT): Coordinates with Internet Service Providers to
block flagged URLs.
MeitY: Monitors compliance and coordinates with intermediaries and other government
stakeholders.
Empowering Victims and Strengthening Digital Safety
This SoP is a major step towards empowering individuals, especially women, to reclaim control over
their digital identities and to ensure a safe online environment. It also reinforces the government’s
commitment to protecting privacy, dignity and safety in cyberspace.
The Standard Operating Procedure to Curtail Dissemination of Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery
(NCII) Content is available at:
https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2025/11/a2c9500ef5f8b62a43bfc68747de592d.pdf
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Dharmendra Tewari\Navin Sreejith
(Release ID: 2188886) Visitor Counter : 276
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