MeitY issues standard operating procedure to curb non-consensual intimate content online

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Tuesday 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, 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.

According to the ministry, intermediaries are now required to remove or disable access to reported NCII content within 24 hours of receiving a complaint.

Victims can report such incidents through multiple avenues, including One Stop Centres (OSCs), intermediaries’ in-app reporting systems, the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), or directly to law enforcement agencies.

OSCs will provide victims with assistance in filing complaints through the NCRP, legal aid, and psychological counselling. The NCRP can be accessed online or via the helpline number 1930.

All intermediaries, including Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs), are required to use hash-matching and crawler technologies to prevent the reappearance of the same or similar NCII content.

They must also report the actions taken and coordinate with government portals such as Sahyog, under the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The SoP also details the roles of different government bodies to ensure effective enforcement. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs will act as the central aggregator for NCII complaints and maintain a secure NCII hash bank, while the Department of Telecommunications will coordinate with Internet Service Providers to block flagged URLs.

MeitY will monitor compliance and ensure coordination among intermediaries and other stakeholders.

The government said the SoP marks a significant step towards empowering individuals, particularly women, to reclaim control over their digital identities.

It aims to create a safer online ecosystem by enabling swift redressal, protecting privacy and dignity, and reinforcing accountability across digital platforms.

--IANS

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