CHENNAI: Directing the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to give wide publicity through the media on the standard operating procedure (SOP) for dealing with complaints of uploading of non-consensual intimate images (NCII) and videos on digital platforms, the Madras High Court ordered that diligent steps must be taken to alleviate the woes of affected women whenever complaints are filed.
Justice M Dhandapani passed the orders recently while disposing of a petition by a woman advocate seeking a direction to the MeitY to take action to remove her NCII uploaded by an ex-friend on digital platforms.
The judge said insofar as the SOP is concerned, it is to be stated that the victims of NCII content ought to be made known about the procedure formulated by the first respondent — MeitY — so that the said victims could take effective action by following the steps detailed in the SOP. In such a view of the matter, this court directs the respondents to take steps to give extensive publicity with regard to the SOP.
“Further, the respondents shall ensure that as and when any of the victims approach them under the SOP, diligent steps shall be taken to alleviate the victims’ grievance, without forcing them to resort to legal remedies as the dignity of women as enshrined in Article 21 of Constitution is safeguarded,” judge said.
Senior counsel Abudu Kumar Rajaratnam appeared for the petitioner, while senior standing counsel A Kumaraguru represented the centre.
The SOP was framed by the centre on a direction of the court to put in place a mechanism to handle complaints of uploading of NCII contents. Referring to the present case, Justice Dhandapani directed the respondent to take steps to block the sites which host NCII contents in case of complaints. The petitioner shall not be made to seek legal recourse if the contents resurface, he said.