This is one of the few situations where the law provides a genuinely fast takedown route, and it is worth knowing the exact provision to cite, because it changes how platforms respond.
The 24 hour rule
Under Rule 3(2)(b) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, an intermediary must, on receiving a complaint from or on behalf of an individual, remove or disable access within 24 hours to content that exposes the private area of an individual, shows full or partial nudity, depicts a sexual act, or is in the nature of impersonation including artificially morphed images. Cite this rule expressly in your complaint. Generic reports go into a queue; a complaint that names Rule 3(2)(b) usually does not.
Report in parallel, immediately
- The platform, using its dedicated reporting flow and then its India grievance officer by email.
- cybercrime.gov.in, using the Report Women/Child Related Crime section, which permits reporting anonymously and is designed for exactly this.
- Helpline 1930, and the local cyber crime police station.
- Preserve URLs, screenshots and account handles before reporting, because content disappears and reappears elsewhere.
Victims often hesitate because the images are intimate. The law protects your identity: disclosure of the identity of a victim of certain offences is itself an offence, proceedings can be held in camera, and the cybercrime portal permits anonymous reporting. Do not let embarrassment cost you the takedown window.
The offences involved
- Section 77 BNS, voyeurism, covering capturing or disseminating images of a woman engaged in a private act
- Section 66E of the IT Act, violation of privacy by capturing or publishing images of a private area without consent
- Sections 67, 67A and 67B of the IT Act, for obscene and sexually explicit material, with 67B covering material depicting children
- Section 78 BNS for stalking, and Section 308 BNS for extortion where money is demanded
Sextortion
If someone is threatening to publish images unless you pay, do not pay; payment invariably leads to further demands. Preserve the chat, report on 1930 and the portal, and report the account. If it involves a video call recording, note that these are frequently recorded and morphed rather than genuine.