Madras High Court directs MeitY to frame protocol for victims to seek removal of intimate images

The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to file an affidavit detailing steps taken to combat online circulation of non-consensual intimate images (NCII) and to outline a clear protocol that victims can follow to seek takedown of such content [X Vs Union of India].

Justice N Anand Venkatesh highlighted the recurring threat faced by many women across the country from circulation and spread of such images.

The Court stressed the need for continuous judicial oversight and a structured mechanism that would empower victims to act without fear of further exposure.

“Considering the societal framework, not all girls are going to give complaint to the police and many are going to silently suffer the consequences,” the Court noted. “Therefore, they must be shown a way as to how they can handle a problem of this nature without getting themselves exposed and by providing an easy method to remove such videos/intimate images from the websites,” the Court stated.

The Court was hearing a plea filed by a woman-advocate seeking urgent intervention to remove and block private images and videos of her that were allegedly recorded without her consent by a former partner and circulated widely across over 70 websites and digital platforms.

The petitioner submitted that the content was created during a relationship built on false promise of marriage and despite filing an FIR and naming the accused, the material continued to resurface, causing immense reputational and emotional harm.

She urged the Court to direct MeitY to act on her representation dated June 18 and employ advanced technological tools such as hash-matching software, AI-based recognition systems like PhotoDNA, and Google’s content safety mechanisms to ensure effective takedown and prevent future dissemination.

Taking note of the urgency, the Court directed MeitY to complete the removal process within 48 hours.

During today's hearing, the Court was also informed that MeitY had already issued directions to intermediaries such as Google, Facebook, YouTube and Telegram and that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had instructed internet service providers to block websites hosting the offensive content.

However, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that the images resurfaced on 39 websites, prompting the Court to call for more proactive technological intervention using tools such as hash matching, PhotoDNA, and AI-based content recognition.

Observing that this case could serve as a blueprint for future responses to NCII complaints, the Court said,

“If ultimately, the 1st respondent is able to completely block the intimate images / videos and also prevent the same from resurfacing, it will be a test case which can be applied in future to handle the situation more effectively.”

The Court directed MeitY to file an affidavit before the next hearing explaining the measures taken and setting out a protocol that victims can follow, including options for anonymous complaints, assistance from NGOs and self-help groups, and swift takedown procedures.

The Court also took serious exception to how the Tamil Nadu Police had handled the complaint. It noted that the FIR contained the name of the victim and that male officers had viewed the explicit video in the presence of the victim during investigation.

“By adopting such a process, the victim girl is being shamed and she is repeatedly harassed causing untold mental agony. In a case of this nature, the victim girl must be accompanied only by women police officers… This Court wants to inculcate more sensitivity in the police department while dealing with cases of this nature," the Court observed.

The Court directed the Government Advocate to ensure that the victim’s name is redacted from the FIR and all related documents and asked the State Public Prosecutor to assist the Court going forward.

The matter will be taken up next on July 22.

The petitioner was represented by Senior Advocate Abudu Kumar Rajaratnam with advocate Rajagopal Vasudevan.

Senior Panel Counsel A Kumaraguru appeared for the Union of India (MeitY).
Government Advocate V Meganathan appeared for the Tamil Nadu Police.

[Read Order]